Leadership Skills

Ethics: Personal Responsibility

Personal responsibility means taking control of your responses and actions in life. It does not mean that you are responsible for what happens to you, but rather, you are responsible for how you respond to each situation. We all know someone who is always the victim because everything seems to "happen" to him or her. On the other hand, we also know those people who do not let similar events hinder his or her forward progress. The second person is the one who accepts responsibility for his or her behaviors and actions.

Ultimately, you are responsible for what you do. No one else maintains that control.

What Does Taking Responsibility Look Like?

• When you make a mistake, you admit it.
• You do not blame other people.
• You stop making excuses.
• You gain power over your actions.
• You stop complaining.
• You are no longer a victim.
• You feel good about yourself.
• You acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes.
• You accept responsibility.

You always have a choice in how you respond. You are only responsible for yourself, so allow other people to be responsible for themselves.

Develop a Personal Responsibility Statement

Your values help shape your ethical beliefs, and your values will help shape your personal responsibility statement. Your statement will outline how you will communicate with and resond to other people. In developing your statement, ask yourself:

• What are my top values?
• How do my values relate to ethics
• How do my values relate to communication?
• How do my values relate to interacting with other people?
• How do I want to model ethical behavior?

For example: I pledge to 1) maintain open, honest, and ethical communication with my peers, 2) comply with workplace laws, 3) model appropriate workplace behavior, and 4) seek assistance in situations where I am unsure about the appropriate action.