Inspiration | Leadership

A Superpower You Can Have Now!

Embracing one of the most powerful words in the English language

Let’s look at a superpower available to anyone willing to take it on. You will find much about it in writing, including many books. This superpower comes from one of the most potent words in the English language. Read on to discover how to develop it to live your best life!

The superpower

Without question, responsibility is one of the most powerful words in the English language. When you have it, you can accomplish practically anything you desire. It gives you power and strength in ways little else can. Many refer to it as a superpower.

When you take responsibility for yourself and your actions, you gain more than you can imagine. Being responsible means having control, power, maturity, integrity, trustworthiness, and the capacity to achieve whatever you want.

“Responsibility walks hand in hand with capacity and power.” Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819–1881)

Common sense tells us a responsible person, regardless of age, has significant advantages over one who is irresponsible. Taking responsibility for yourself speaks volumes about you and affects everyone around you. When others see you as a responsible person, they likely hold you in high regard.

Whether you are responsible or irresponsible, your state of being touches everything you do and every area of who you are. It is possible to be responsible and irresponsible simultaneously in different parts of life.

Many see themselves as a responsible employee, spouse, or friend. All the while, they can be irresponsible about their future by living beyond their means. We can be responsible citizens by voting, paying taxes, and participating in a neighborhood association. Yet, at the same time, we can be irresponsible doing things like texting while driving, speeding excessively, not using our turn signal, and a hundred others.

The reality is that few of us accept responsibility for our actions and behaviors 100% of the time. There is no such thing as a perfect human, after all!

Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)

Defining responsibility

The Oxford Dictionary defines responsibility as “having an obligation to do something, or having control over or care for someone, as part of one’s job or role.”

Let’s examine responsibility more meaningfully and practically by looking at how it defines you!

The amount of responsibility you are willing to take on tells other people how mature and dependable you are. It tells them about your character. It can determine whether you will get that next promotion or pay raise. It positions you in ways nothing else can.

Who you are and who you are becoming is defined by how responsible you are and how much responsibility you are willing to accept. Being responsible can create significant positive outcomes for you, as being irresponsible can create the opposite.

When others see you as responsible, they usually consider you trustworthy. Trustworthiness is crucial to those in leadership positions, and everyone has a leadership position somewhere in their life (even if it is only leading themselves)! When others view you as trustworthy, they trust you and see you as honest, dependable, and honorable, giving you favor over others.

A word that ties strongly to responsibility is accountability. Without accountability, how can you be responsible for anything? Then again, without responsibility, how can you be accountable for anything? The two terms go hand in hand. One does not exist without the other.

“You can’t talk about leadership without talking about responsibility and accountability…you can’t separate the two. “ Buck Rodgers (1938-present)

Whatever your role as a husband, father, employee, leader, or friend, everyone you come in contact with judges whether you are responsible or not. How responsible would your spouse, someone at work, a friend, or anyone else say you are? Why not find out by asking them to rate you on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being fully responsible? You may be surprised by the results!

Responsibility and achievement

To achieve anything in life requires effort. You are responsible for making the effort to initiate whatever it is while accepting responsibility for the results.

When you are responsible in the right areas of life, your chance of achieving much increases tremendously. You will find opportunities to become even more responsible, leading to ever-greater achievements. Being responsible can help you create a great marriage and become a better parent, friend, employee, or boss. There is little in life that you can’t improve when you become more responsible.

“By choosing to take responsibility for your life, you will immediately gain an increased power to achieve your greatest potential.” Skip Downing (1953-present)

Growing your responsibility

“Accountability breeds response-ability.” Stephen Covey (1932–2012)

By desiring to become as responsible as possible, you position yourself to achieve more and improve how others see you. Following are some of the ways you can further enhance being more responsible.

• Accept accountability for any responsibility you take on
• Follow through on whatever you say or put in writing
• Be the person others can rely on to be on time, to participate, and to be engaged and involved when needed
• Never stop short on anything; instead, go the extra mile
• Don’t present a problem without at least one potential solution
• Keep the growth mindset of a lifelong learner
• Take full responsibility for your disposition and attitude every hour of every day

These are just a few ways to build greater responsibility in your life. What others would you add?

“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.” John C. Maxwell (1947-present)

Final thoughts

If you desire to become your best self, there is no quicker or greater route than responsibility. To become the best employee, accept responsibility, and consistently deliver. To become the best family man, maintain full responsibility. To become the best leader, assume complete responsibility. To accomplish anything in life worthwhile, be responsible!

Responsibility is crucial for us to mature and grow. Why not embrace your maturity as few do by accepting responsibility for creating an extraordinary life for yourself and those you love?

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

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