You can delegate responsibility, but you can’t delegate accountability to anyone.

If someone gives you a job to do, you can get someone else to do it, but you are still accountable to produce the results. If the job isn’t done right the only person to blame is you, because even though you’ve delegated the responsibility, you are still accountable.

Last week during the VeloCITI Business Acceleration Course group session I go to, we discussed some of the points made in the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.

I’m only beginning to read the book now, however something that has stuck with me from that session was about being responsible, but with a new sense of the word.
The dictionary defines responsible as “Worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable”, however I now have a different view on its meaning.

“The ability to choose your response”

Short explanation taken from a quote out of Lord of the Rings: (Not a direct quote)
“It’s not for us to choose what we are given in life. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

It’s all in your attitude. Exercising your ability to choose your response. Being Responsible.