“With power comes responsibility.”  This statement has been used in one variation or another by such prominent leaders as Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  The beauty of it is that it can be applied to not only people, but also organizations, companies, or even nations.

What does it mean to take responsibility?  Admitting when you were wrong is one way and saying that you won’t let it happen again is another.  For me, taking responsibility is about solving the problems that you’ve created on your path to success.

Fast moving and ground-breaking technology companies immediately come to mind, along with politicians, and specific CEOs when it comes to being more responsible for their actions, policies, or social impact.  People may be enticed to begin donating money to charity or forming philanthropic organizations to change public opinion about their respective actions.  New policies to change corporate behavior may also be instituted to alter the way people behave and how the public perceives them.

Regardless of what leaders are doing to appease the public, I’m interested in seeing how this change manifests itself within and is pushed through an organization.  Will the business model be able to support a structural change?  It’s a tough question to answer.

More importantly, I’d like to see CEOs to-be, startups, and other rising entrepreneurs consider their potential growth and consider how they’ll change as their company evolves and scales up.  The way they led their team as a small operation is different than what it will take when they grow larger and the stakes rise.  Why not try to get it right the first time around?  It may be a lot less expensive in the long run.

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today