According to Bill Bonnstetter of TTI, the #1 skill for peak performers and great leaders is PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY.   Bonnstetter points out, “My research into superior performers has shown that 100% of the time, these are people who have a strong sense of personal accountability.” 

They recognize, that just as famed pastor, Robert Schuller once remarked, “If it is to be, it is up to me!”  So, instead of choosing to blame others for their misfortunes or make excuses for why they did or didn’t do something, they face situations head on and take responsibility for their part.  No, I’m not suggesting only viewing life’s challenges through rose-colored glasses or with a pollyanna-ish outlook, but today, probably more than ever, many want to blame their problems on someone or something else…other people, the competition, the economy, etc., etc., etc.  That’s why in executive coaching, we strive to stay focused on our side of the street.  What do I have control over in impacting my success?  What is it in me or my company that is holding me back?

In his book, FocalPoint, Brian Tracy says that “fully 80% of our constraints are within us, our company, etc. and that only 20% are outside of us.”  He continues that, “When you want to accomplish great things, you always start with yourself and work out from there.”

Further, psychologists say that you will feel good about yourself to the degree to which you feel that you are in control of your own life.  They call this your “locus of control.”  And, people with an “internal locus of control”, those who feel that they are behind the wheels of their own lives, tend to be low-stress, high performance individuals (i.e. Leaders and Victors).

In conclusion, while pursuing your own PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, you might find it helpful to recall the words Reinhold Niebuhr offered in his Serenity Prayer:

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.”