The military has a great take on rewards and responsibility. Rewards roll down hill, responsibility rolls up.

If a team fails to perform, the leader is the one responsible for the failure. Did a team member not complete their assigned task critical to the team’s success? Then the leader failed to clarify the need for the task, adequately train the team member or manage some other aspect of the team’s overall performance.

If a team succeeds, the awards and honors go to those team members most responsible for the great performance of the team. Maybe that’s as simple as a celebratory lunch and the leader talking about the way each team member contributed their strengths.

When leaders push responsibility down, trust on the team deteriorates. Team members look to be seen as performers and build a case for why failures are not due to their actions. This constant state of protective attention detracts from the focus on the team’s main objective. By taking the responsibility for failure, the leader builds trust on the team and improves their focus and likelyhood of success.

It takes great courage to step up and take responsibility, especially when it’s so tempting to point to someone else to explain a failure. If you find yourself tempted to pass responsibility down, think on whether you are acting for your team or yourself.