21 Oct 2013

The 21 Indispensible Qualities of a Leader | Responsibility

16. Responsibility: If you won’t carry the ball, you can’t lead the team

The battle at Alamo in 1836 took the lives of 800 men and set the stage for Texas’ independence two months later. 183 men, including William Travis, Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie and defended the Alamo against the 600-men strong troop of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna for 11 days. During these 11 days, James Bonham was sent to seek help from Goliad, but having found no help, returned to the Alamo and joined the fighting. Maxwell summarized the four characteristics of “people who embrace responsibility”: they get the job done, they are willing to go the extra mile, they are driven by excellence and they produce regardless of the situation.

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Webster’s definition RELIABILITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS

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My thoughts

What an example of responsibility! Maxwell’s story reminds me of that of the first marathon runner Pheidippides who run between Athens and Sparta twice seeking help during a naval raid by the Persians. Maxwell hit the nail on the head about responsible people getting the job done, and may I venture to add, without watching the clock for it. Responsible people stay back at work when they are required to finish their tasks, and not procrastinate to the following day. This would have been a fine chapter, had the story for the Daily Take-away section not be so irrelevant to the theme on responsibility.

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