Guideposts for Millennial Leaders: Own the Buck

In the US, we have a phrase: “passing the buck.” The saying originates from poker when a marker of some kind–called a buck–would be placed in front of the dealer. When the dealer wished to end responsibility for the deal, she’d “pass the buck” to the next player. Today, we use this phrase when someone deflects responsibility for something, like a failure, onto someone else. In the workplace, this most often occurs when a leader is held accountable for not delivering on expectations and instead of accepting that feedback and making it right, they blame someone else–usually a peer or subordinate.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to observe a millennial leader who was well-known and admired for his leadership. He won awards and other accolades for his courage and the culture he fostered within his team and the broader organization. However, during one very pivotal year in the organization’s growth, one of his teams fell significantly short on delivering to the business. The impact of this failure radiated into all areas of the company and impacted at least two quarters of company earnings. 

Although I wasn’t invited to observe senior leadership meetings, I had earned the trust of a couple of people in that group. They reported back that the leader’s response to the failure was clear and resounding:

It wasn’t his fault; it was his subordinate’s fault.

Now, might that have been true? Of course. But as a leader overseeing this function, it was also his fault. Part of the reason many of us desire to move further up in leadership positions at an organization is to make more money and hold more power. Here’s the uncomfortable truth about those promotions and raises: they come with more responsibility and risk. You’re getting paid more because the impact of even the smallest mistake or biggest failure is increasingly significant the higher you rise. The decisions you make are high stakes and, to some extent, what you’re earning is hazard pay.

A leader’s responsibilities include fostering psychological safety and trust on one’s team. That means when one of your subordinates spots a mistake, identifies a broken process, or fails to deliver on expectations, they speak up proactively and work with you to turn things around. They don’t fear that you’ll turn your back on them and leave them unsupported. Rather, they believe that you will shield them and the rest of your team from any backlash while a resolution is found. When the people you lead believe they have your confidence, trust, and protection, they’re bolder, more innovative, and more receptive to feedback. Mistakes don’t become catastrophes because they’re addressed early and directly without fear of retaliation. Each time you protect your team, you earn more of their trust. And each time one of your team members messes up and has the chance to fix it, they grow and become better contributors.

The leader I referenced earlier was able to save face with his executive peers by deflecting blame to the junior leader. However, his willingness to pass the buck demonstrated a lack of courage that cost him more than his pride. He lost great talent. Over time, his subordinate fell out of favor with the executive leadership and found it so difficult to do her job, she finally burned out and quit. He lost the confidence and respect of his other reports. And he lost the respect of some of his most respected peers who thought to themselves, “I would never throw my people under the bus like that.”

Owning the buck isn’t easy. It takes vulnerability and courage. It’s also a leader’s best long-term bet. Sure, there may be times when you take the fall for your team and suffer a setback or maybe even lose your job. But when you show up to a job interview, do you want to be the candidate telling the story of being screwed by your team, or do you want to be the candidate accepting responsibility on behalf of your team and demonstrating what you’ve learned since?

Podcast Recommendation: A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek: Failing Well with professor of leadership Amy Edmondson