This year, however, I found myself watching something different. Not just the games. The conversations between the plays. More specifically, I started paying attention to the mound visits.

A young pitcher gives up a hit. Maybe he walks a batter. An infielder makes an error. The opposing team is suddenly threatening to score. Or it’s the bottom of the seventh inning (extra innings in Little League). There are two outs and the opposition’s best hitter is coming to the plate. The pitcher’s team has a one-run lead.

The manager walks slowly from the dugout to the mound. The infielders gather around.

And something fascinating happens. In dozens of these mound visits, I have heard very little criticism. Instead, the message is overwhelmingly positive.

The manager may remind the pitcher of something he is doing well. He may point out that a particular pitch is working. He may remind him that his teammates are behind him. He may reinforce something they practiced. He may tell him to trust his catcher.

And almost always, somewhere in the conversation, there is some version of: Relax and have fun. That is not insignificant.

More Than “You Can Do It”

There is certainly encouragement. But what makes many of these conversations impressive is that the encouragement is more specific than the familiar: “You can do it.”
Instead, the manager gives the player something concrete to build on:

• Your fastball is working.
• Stay with what you’ve been doing.
• Trust your defense.
• Make your pitch.
• We’re with you.
• Get the next hitter.

The manager is not pretending that the previous pitch didn’t happen. He is not ignoring a mistake. He is simply refusing to allow the mistake to become the definition of what happens next. That is an important distinction.

It reflects several ideas that are frequently discussed in leadership and performance development: growth mindset, positive expectations, confidence, focus, resilience, and constructive feedback.

But on a Little League mound, those ideas are not theories. They are being practiced in real time.

The Leader’s Job Is the Next Pitch

One of the most important lessons from these mound visits may be this:

Great coaching isn’t primarily about explaining the last pitch.
It’s about preparing someone for the next one.

That has enormous implications beyond baseball. Consider what happens in many workplaces after someone makes a mistake. The manager wants to review what happened:

• Why did you do that?
• What went wrong?
• Didn’t we discuss this before?
• What were you thinking?

There may be a legitimate time for some of those questions. But timing matters. If someone is still “in the game,” the leader’s first responsibility may not be conducting a postmortem. It may be helping that person perform the next task successfully.

The Little League manager walking to the mound understands something important: the pitcher cannot change the previous pitch. But he can throw the next one.

• A customer service representative cannot undo the last difficult call.
• A salesperson cannot change the presentation that just went poorly.
• A manager cannot erase a mistake made in yesterday’s meeting.
• A job candidate cannot redo an answer from five minutes earlier in an interview.

The question is: What happens next?

And what does the leader do to improve the chances that “next” goes well?

Positive Expectations Matter

There is another message embedded in these mound visits. The manager’s presence communicates an expectation.

I still believe you can do this.

That expectation matters. We have known for years that expectations can influence performance. People respond differently when leaders communicate confidence in their ability. But there is an enormous difference between unsupported optimism and credible positive expectations.

“You’re the greatest pitcher ever!” is probably not useful.
“You’ve been hitting your spots all game. Trust what you’ve practiced,” is.

One is praise. The other is coaching.

The best Little League mound conversations often combine encouragement with evidence. The player is reminded of what he already knows, what he has already demonstrated, and what he can control. That is a much stronger foundation for confidence. It is also a useful reminder for managers who believe they are giving positive feedback simply because they occasionally tell employees: “Good job.” Positive feedback becomes more powerful when it is specific.

• What was good?
• What behavior should continue?
• What strength did the person demonstrate?
• What did they do that contributed to success?

Specific feedback teaches. Generic praise merely feels good for a moment.

Growth Mindset in About 30 Seconds

These interactions are also excellent demonstrations of a growth mindset. A mistake is treated as an event. Not an identity. The message is not: “You failed.” It is: “That didn’t work. Now let’s make the next pitch.”

That difference sounds simple, but it can be enormous. One approach focuses attention backward. The other directs attention forward.

One can increase fear of another mistake. The other encourages learning and another attempt.

This does not mean leaders should ignore poor performance. Nor does it mean accountability disappears. Quite the opposite. The objective is improved performance. But effective leaders understand that embarrassment, humiliation, or excessive criticism are rarely the best tools for producing immediate improvement. Particularly when someone is already under pressure.

Then I Learned Something About Panama

Another observation from this year’s Little League World Series made these mound visits even more interesting. The team representing Panama has a Ph.D. Psychologist on staff who has attended every game, met with the team individually, in groups – and with coaches and managers.

That caught my attention immediately. Here are young athletes competing on an international stage, and their preparation is not limited to hitting, pitching, fielding, conditioning, and strategy. Attention is also being given to the psychological side of performance.

• Confidence.
• Pressure.
• Focus.
• Emotional control.
• Resilience.
• Communication.
• Preparation for difficult moments.

That raises an interesting question for organizations. Companies invest heavily in technical training. They train employees to use systems. They teach procedures. They develop product knowledge. They provide sales training. They teach managers processes, policies, and metrics.

But how much deliberate preparation is given to performing under pressure?

• How much training is provided on recovering from mistakes?
• Maintaining focus?
• Managing emotions?
• Responding to setbacks?
• Building confidence?
• Helping teammates regain confidence?

Little League players may be receiving more intentional preparation in some of these areas than many adults receive in their workplaces. That should make leaders think.

“Relax and Have Fun”

Perhaps the most surprising leadership lesson is also the simplest. Relax. Have fun.

Think about the circumstances in which Little League managers are saying this. These young players have worked for months—and often years—to reach Williamsport.

• They are playing in front of large crowds.
• Their games are televised.
• Their families are watching.
• Their communities and countries are watching.
• They desperately want to win.
• There is real pressure.

Yet at one of the most pressure-filled moments in the game, the manager may walk onto the field and remind a player to have fun. That is not a suggestion that winning doesn’t matter. Of course it matters. It is a reminder about how people perform best.

A tense pitcher does not necessarily throw better because someone reminds him how important the situation is. He already knows. Adding more pressure may accomplish nothing. Reducing some of that pressure may accomplish a great deal.

There is another workplace lesson here. Managers sometimes believe they improve performance by constantly reminding employees how important everything is.

• This customer is critical.
• This presentation is critical.
• This deadline is critical.
• This quarter is critical.
• This meeting is critical.

Eventually, everything becomes critical. And when everything feels critical, performance can suffer. The Little League manager sometimes does exactly the opposite. He walks into a high-pressure situation and lowers the temperature.

• Relax.
• Trust yourself.
• Have fun.
• Now make the next pitch.

What Kind of Mound Visit Do You Make?

Every leader has mound visits. They simply don’t happen on a baseball field. They happen after an employee makes a mistake.

• After a presentation falls apart.
• After a customer complains.
• After a project misses a milestone.
• After someone receives disappointing results.
• After a new employee struggles.
• After a normally strong performer suddenly loses confidence.

Those moments reveal a great deal about leadership. Does the leader increase the pressure? Replay the mistake? Demonstrate frustration?

Or does the leader help the person regain focus, remember what is working, learn what is necessary, and prepare for what happens next?

The Little League World Series continues to provide remarkable examples of teamwork and sportsmanship. The rules themselves create opportunities for players to contribute, take on different roles, and excel.

But some of the most valuable lessons may occur when the game temporarily stops. A manager walks toward the mound. A group of young players gathers around. And for 30 seconds, leadership becomes very visible.

The message is positive. The expectations are positive. The coaching is specific. The mistake is acknowledged, but it is not allowed to take over the moment. Then the manager walks back to the dugout. And the player turns toward home plate.

Because ultimately, leadership is not about changing the last pitch. It is about helping someone be ready for the next one.

Coyote Vs. Acme almost didn’t see the light of day. The film is a live-action/animated hybrid. The film was completely finished when Warner Brothers decided to shelve it so it could take a $30 million tax write-off. That’s when Ketchup Entertainment and Legion M joined forces to save the film. They wanted to release it to the public. And they got it done.

Coyote Vs. Acme is set in the Looney Tunes universe. We get to see a lot of familiar faces. You may recognize:

• Wile E. Coyote
• Road Runner
• Bugs Bunny (Eric Bauza)
• Daffy Duck
• Porky Pig
• Foghorn Leghorn
• Tweety Bird
• Tasmanian Devil (Taz)
• Gossamer
• Pete Puma
• Marvin the Martian
• Elmer Fudd
• Pepé Le Pew
• Granny (Candi Milo)
• Witch Hazel
• Miss Prissy
• Hippity Hopper
• Instant Martians
• Charlie Dog

What’s the movie about? Wile E. Coyote, hereinafter referred to as Coyote, decides to sue the Acme Corporation, hereinafter referred to as Acme, after he’s experienced multiple failures with Acme products. Whether it’s the Rocket Skates or the Catapult or the Anvils or any of the other various products, every single one failed Coyote. He wound up battered and bruised after attempting to use them to catch his rival, Road Runner.

Seeing a billboard, Coyote contacts Kevin Avery (Will Forte) to take his case. Avery has been taking on small cases for years against Acme. He’d settle them for pennies on the dollar.

That all changes when Coyote graces the doors of his office. Avery unintentionally takes on a much larger case than he ever expected when Coyote stuffs the evidence box with every failed Acme product.

Coyote’s actions set the stage for a great family comedy as he keeps trying to set a trap for Road Runner.

Let’s explore how the antics in Coyote Vs. Acme can help you become a better leader.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Coyote Vs. Acme

1. Sometimes, the harder you try to get out of something, the more you get stuck:

The film opens with Daffy Duck stuck in a blue goo. He’s frantically trying to get out of it.

The more he tries, the more he gets stuck. Eventually, he’s completely covered in the goo.

We think we have to try harder and harder to get through a difficult situation. It’s just a little more effort… a little more grit.

The result? We just find ourselves digging a deeper hole. Becoming more stuck.

There’s time to keep struggling. Then there’s time to call it quits.

Know the difference.

2. Dr. Lorre:

Someday, the truth will be known.

Dr. Lorre was a scientist at the Acme Corporation. He had been part of the experiments Acme had been running. He wasn’t happy with what they were doing to the toons.

The good doctor was ready to get out of Acme. He was going to expose the truth. But as he escaped the facility, Acme thugs stopped him.

They gave him a choice. They laid out a cartoon manhole. Dr. Lorre could jump in, or they could push him.

Before he jumped, he shouted that the truth would be known. The world would one day know what Acme was doing to the cartoons.

If your organization is committing illegal acts, doing immoral things, or choosing the wrong path, it will be found out one day. The truth will be revealed.

Many organizations think they can keep doing wrong because they’ve never been caught. One day, they will.

3. Keep trying:

Coyote went to his home… a cave in the desert. We see what he had been doing.

Coyote had a pile of Acme gadgets. There were blueprints drawn up. He had hundreds of ways to catch the Road Runner.

He wouldn’t give up. He would keep trying.

It can be hard to keep trying when things keep failing, but keep on keeping on – Leadership lessons from Coyote Vs. Acme
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We plan and plan and plan. Sometimes, our plans work. Other times, they fail.

On those times, we feel like quitting. Like the world is conspiring against us.

I want you to remember the successes. Those things you did right.

Keep trying. You’ll succeed again.

4. You’ve got to do more than talk about your values:

Avery and Coyote went to Acme. They needed to see the corporate lawyer, Buddy Crane (John Cena). He was the one who would be going against Avery. He and Avery were also old acquaintances.

While Avery and Coyote waited for Crane, they sat in a waiting room. Screens played a video loop of Acme corporate values. None of which they lived out.

Too many organizations talk about their values. They value family, their employees, and helping their customers. Yet what they do seems to go against those values.

Stop talking about your organization’s values. Start living them – Leadership lessons from Coyote Vs. Acme
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The company is willing to ship shoddy work to say they met the deadline. They overwork their employees to the point that they have mental breakdowns or have to go to the hospital.

That’s not living up to corporate values. That’s living up to the bottom line.

You can’t just talk about your values. You need a culture where those values can be lived out.

5. Be careful not to offend people with your words:

Crane and Foghorn Leghorn meet. Crane is talking to Leghorn about the case. Leghorn is upset about it.

Crane tells him not to worry about it. He can kill two birds with one stone.

Uh oh… Leghorn is a giant rooster… A bird.

We can be insensitive with the words we speak. We can miss who we’re talking to.

Our words can have a devastating impact on those we lead. We have to be careful not to offend others with the words we say.

That won’t always be possible. Yet, it should be a goal.

6. Kevin Avery:

I got burnt out on trying.

Avery was talking to Coyote. He told him how it seemed Coyote always had a specific plan to get Road Runner.

At one point, Avery had a plan. He knew what he wanted. He tried to make it happen.

But he kept failing. Failure after failure, Avery got burnt out.

As a leader, you’re going to have to try a lot of different things. There’s always something new coming down the pipeline that will test you.

Learn to keep on trying. Even when you fail.

And if you feel burnout coming on, take a break. You don’t have to do everything all of the time.

7. Bad leadership will make things change negatively:

Paige Avery (Lana Condor), Kevin Avery’s niece and legal partner, goes to meet with Granny. Granny is Dr. Lorre’s wife.

Granny shares happy memories with Paige. Then she tells her of the change at Acme.

Her husband had always dreamed of helping the cartoon characters they interacted with. He did, for a long time. Then new leadership came into Acme.

That leadership stopped caring about the cartoons. They were out to make a profit and create things that would help humans while hurting the cartoons.

Granny recognized things had changed at Acme. So did Dr. Lorre. And they weren’t for the better.

Leadership can make or break an organization’s culture. When toxic, negative leadership comes in, they can change how an organization feels and functions.

Watch out for bad leadership. Be willing to speak up against it. You may face opposition but you can say you did something.

8. You can change your plans:

Coyote’s plan had always been to catch Road Runner. To feast on the delicious bird. BY HIMSELF.

However, we see Coyote change his plan. By the end of the movie, he wanted to catch Road Runner, cook him, and eat him with Avery.

It wasn’t a plan just for himself. The plan now included someone else.

It’s okay to change your plans. They evolve over time – Leadership lessons from Coyote Vs. Acme
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Don’t treat your plans as unchangeable. Be flexible. Be willing to change.

You’ll see new people come into your organization. They can change your plans. Technology will change. That can change your plans. Leadership can change. That will change your plans.

Hold your plans loosely. Let them change.

9. Your rival can be your friend:

Coyote saw Road Runner as someone to defeat. To conquer. But that wasn’t all Road Runner was. Road Runner was a friend.

But it wasn’t just Coyote who saw Road Runner that way. Road Runner saw Coyote as a friend, too.

You’re going to have rivals. People who challenge you as you lead.

Your rival can be your friend. Don’t let the rivalry stop you from finding community – Leadership lessons from Coyote Vs. Acme
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Are they out to get you? Or are they friendly competition?

If you have a work rival, invite them into a friendship. You’ll be surprised that they will say yes.

10. You can lose and still win:

Avery and Paige did their best to win Coyote’s case. However, they did not receive the judgment they had hoped for. Coyote did not win his case.

But…

That doesn’t make any of them losers. In fact, they end up winning big in the end.

As Paige and Avery return to their offices, they find lines of cartoon characters waiting. They wanted Avery and Paige to represent them.

Despite the loss, the law firm gained new clients. They still won.

Sometimes our greatest failures can become our greatest victories.

Someone may hear of your tenacity and want you on the team. A failed project may become the basis for a project that succeeds.

Don’t let failure stop you. See how you can turn the failure into a win.

But, this month, I want to look at newer books. Books that haven’t been out for years and years. These books are fresh, new, and impactful.

Here are 5 books you need to consider reading this month to boost your leadership knowledge.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

5 Leadership Books To Read In September 2026

1. The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance by Zach Mercurio:

People want to matter. Too often, they feel they don’t matter in their organization. That’s one reason people leave organizations.

What if you could make people feel appreciated? What if you could show them you cared? What if you could show them they make a difference?

Zach Mercurio knows the importance of this and helps leaders show their people they matter.

Grab a copy of his book here.

2. The Power of Positive Habits: Proven Strategies to Exponentially Grow You by Jon Gordon:

Jon Gordon has long been one of my favorite authors. I love his use of parables to help leaders understand leadership principles. It’s similar to how I examine movies for the leadership lessons they contain.

In The Power of Positive Habits: Proven Strategies to Exponentially Grow You, Jon Gordon strays from his tried-and-true formula. This book is not a parable or fable. It’s a hands-on guide on the power of positive habits.

If you need to know the power of positive habits, pick up the book here.

3. Re-Placed: Answering the Call of Leadership in the Age of AI by Kari Zeller:

We’ve been told AI will make things faster, more efficient, more correct. Some of us feel like it may even replace our jobs. Will it?

With the rise of AI, leaders now have to ask themselves what they’re going to do now. It’s a question all of us should have been asking ourselves long ago.

It’s okay, though. Kari Zeller tackles this difficult question in her book: Re-Placed. She’ll help you learn how to shift your perspective to adapt to the new age we’re in.

Grab a copy here.

4. From GAP to Great: Leadership Books New Approach: Why Some Leaders Multiply Performance While Others Drain It by R.F. Price:

Have you ever been in the presence of a leader who drains the room? The moment they enter, you can feel the energy, the passion, the desire leave the room. It’s depressing.

None of us want to be that leader. Thankfully, R.F. Price can help all of us be a leader who multiplies performance rather than drains it.

Let’s stop dragging people down. Let’s start lifting them up. That’s Price’s motto. It can become yours as well.

Get your copy here.

5. Purposeful Performance: The Secret Mix of Connecting, Leading, and Succeeding by Jonathan Stanley:

What does purposeful performance look like? Is it growing the bottom line? Is it having a lasting impact on your community? Is it a mix of both?

There’s more to business than money. There’s the connection and impact you and your organization can make in the world.

Jonathan Stanley helps you realize how to do this in Purposeful Performance. You won’t want to miss this book.

Order a copy on Amazon.

Cole Reed (Jason Statham) is a man with a mission. He’s sworn to protect his billionaire boss, Tibu Campallo (Ramon Tikaram). However, he fails shortly after Tibu announces he is selling his shipping company, KMG. The two are attacked and Tibu is murdered. Then, Cole is framed for his murder.

As Mutiny is a Jason Statham film, Cole can’t stand for this. He’s now on the run from the law and the people who killed Tibu. It’s time he goes on a one-man revenge mission to avenge Tibu’s death.

There’s action. There’s intrigue. There’s deception. Most of all, there are leadership lessons galore.

Let’s explore those lessons.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Mutiny

1. Leaders are observant:

The movie opens with Cole standing in a building. It’s the offices of KMG Bangkok, Tibu’s shipping company. Cole’s watching people entering and leaving the building.

There’s a man acting strangely at the door. A woman drops her keys. Cole picks up on so many more incidents.

He’s observant.

Great leaders need to be observant. Observant of plenty of things…

• Customer’s perceptions
• Employee satisfaction
• Business performance
• And so much more

What are you observing in your business? Are you paying attention?

Great leaders do…

2. Tibu Campallo:

All this began with that.

Tibu is walking out of the office. He stops at the model of a freighter.

That model is the first ship KMG ever used. It was how it all began.

Revisit how everything began. Remembering history is a way to honor the past – Leadership lessons from Mutiny
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Do you know how your organization began? Do you know its history?

If you don’t, learn it. Remind yourself of how your company grew, changed, and became successful.

3. Tibu Campallo:

If you were me, what would you do?

Tibu and Cole are playing chess. It’s implied that Cole regularly defeats Tibu. That doesn’t stop them from playing.

Then, something cool happens. Tibu is placed in check. He stops and asks Cole what he would do. What would his next move be?

How many times do you stop to ask others what they would do in your shoes? How often do you consider that your move may not be the best?

Stop and ask those around you what they would do. Find out new options and opinions.

The more you consult others, the wiser you will become.

4. Great leaders allow others to pursue their dreams:

Tibu shares that he’s selling KMG because he knows it is not his son’s dream to run a shipping company. Kameron Campallo (Chaneil Kular) would rather do almost anything but run the family business.

But why would Tibu sell it? The business is successful. They’re making money.

Tibu had a reason. He wanted Kameron to pursue his own dream.

Great leaders don’t hold their people back. They allow them to grow and leave – Leadership lessons from Mutiny
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So often we want to hold onto the best employees. We believe if we hold tightly, they’ll stay. They’ll do what we need them to do.

However, I’ve found that the best leaders hold their people with loose hands. They know the dreams of those they lead may not align with theirs. They’re willing to let them go to pursue other dreams.

Who are you holding onto that you need to give the freedom to leave?

5. Pay attention to what others like:

Angie Ellis (Annabelle Wallis) is a skilled sailor who was ready to go home to her daughter. That all changed when she got the call that she was to head to The Artemis for duty. She was disappointed but went anyway.

When she arrived, Captain Marko Madsen (Roland Møller) wasn’t thrilled to see her. To say the least, he wasn’t impressed with her.

Angie quickly changed his opinion of her. She paid attention to his necklace. She recognized it had a Viking symbol for protection.

That began to change his opinion of her. All because she paid attention to what he liked.

It can be hard to pay attention to all your team members‘ passions and likes. You have so many to care for and look after.

I encourage you to start paying attention to one or two areas in each team member’s life. Look for an easy win. Something that clicks with you.

The more you pay attention to others, the more you’re going to gain their trust.

6. Listen for the small voices:

Cole had made his way onto The Artemis. He’s walking the deck. He’s avoiding Angie.

Something happens. Cole hears small voices coming from somewhere deeper on the ship. He listens to them. Then he follows the voices he’s heard.

Cole stumbles upon a shipping container full of trafficked human beings. He found them because he listened to the small voices.

Listening to the small voices in your organization can lead to big breakthroughs – Leadership lessons from Mutiny
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When we begin to listen for the small voices, we can make big discoveries. The small voices will lead you to understand the larger problem.

Don’t discount the small voices. Listen. Learn. Change.

7. It’s okay to walk out:

Angie finds the container shortly after Cole does. She reports the trafficked people to Captain Marko. What happens next is not what she expected.

Captain Marko tells her she will follow protocol. At first glance, this may sound right. However, protocol for Captain Marko and his crew is to deal with the mess and continue moving the trafficked people.

Angie wouldn’t be a part of that. She walked out of Captain Marko’s office.

People will stay far too long in a bad organization. They may believe they can change the culture. They may think they can’t find anything better. Or they may think there’s no other choice.

There’s always a choice. You can always walk out. To walk away.

Don’t be afraid to walk out.

8. Great leaders reassure their people:

Angie and Cole make it back to Angie’s room. She sees her daughter’s photo and begins to freak out. She may never see her daughter again.

Cole steps up. He reassures her that he’ll get her out. He calms her fears and anxiety.

Great leaders understand that the team they lead may not always understand what’s happening. They may be fearful. They may have anxiety.

The best leaders know how to reassure their people. They talk them down off of ledges. They inform them of changes. They take care of them.

Be a leader who reassures your people that things will be okay.

9. Use what you have on-hand:

Cole is trapped on the ship. He’s in one of the ship’s vents. A grate prevents him from getting out.

Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t have much on him. Then he remembers Tibu’s gift: A Rolex watch.

He takes off the watch. He flips the latch. Then he uses it to take screw after screw from the vent grate.

He used what he had on hand to get out.

We have plenty of tools around us. The ones the organization provides. And then the ones with hidden uses.

If you’re feeling trapped, look around you. Catalog the resources you have. Then look for ways you can use those resources in unorthodox ways.

You’ll often find you have more tools than you thought.

10. You have to live with your actions for the rest of your life:

It turns out that Kameron had been partnering with the smugglers and their boss, Taran (Jason Wong). He’d allowed Taran to use KMG ships to transport people and goods.

Taran found out about the sale and had to stop it. If he didn’t, his line of business would be kaput.

Taran decides to take out Tibu. That way, the sale of the company would be halted. Kameron would be made the CEO.

You will have to live with your actions for the rest of your life – Leadership lessons from Mutiny
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Cole confronts Kameron about this. He tells Kameron that he will now have to live the rest of his life knowing he caused the death of his father.

Ouch!

I hope you’ll never have to live with the weight of this. However, I know you will have to carry a heavy weight because leadership is heavy.

You’re going to make decisions that will live with you the rest of your life. Make sure you’re making decisions and taking actions that you can live with.

These things hurt. They can make you react. What is your instinctive reaction?

You might have the urge to:

• Defend yourself
• Deflect the blame
• Explain who dropped the ball

It’s human nature to want to explain away a miss. We want others to take the blame. Not us.

Here’s the thing… When you play the blame game, you protect your ego for a brief period of time. You may deflect the damage to yourself but bigger damage happens down the road. Deflecting blame doesn’t build authority, trust, or credibility long-term.

Photo by lhon karwan on Unsplash

Two Mindsets

Leaders typically have two mindsets… One is negative. The other is positive. Let’s start with the negative.

The Blame Mindset:

Blame mindsets look back in time. They see what happened, but they know they can’t change the results. That’s when the blame begins. Leaders with a blame mindset will focus on “Who failed?”

We all know this isn’t how you lead well. So what is?

The Ownership Mindset:

Owners don’t look to place the blame. Instead, they look forward. They’re focused on what can be done now. Leaders with the Ownership Mindset ask “What was in my control and how do we fix it?” They don’t look to place blame. They look for their part in the failure and how they can fix it.

Leaders have to move from the Blame Mindset to the Ownership Mindset. This mindset shift doesn’t affect only you. When you shift your mindset, you shift the mindset of those you lead. It’s a ripple effect. Those you lead see a change in you. They take actions to change their reactions. Then those around them change theirs.

It’s amazing how a little ripple in the organization can go so far.

The Three Blame Traps Leaders Fall Into

Did you know there are 3 blame traps you can fall into? It’s subtle at first and then it’s overwhelming at the end. Have you fallen into any of these?

The Delegation Trap:

You know delegation is a superpower. You also know people won’t always follow through with what you’ve delegated. The Delegation Trap happens when you begin to blame others for their failures without understanding what happened. You point the finger at Fred because the purchase orders didn’t go out. You fail to remember you told him you’d show him how to enter the orders.

Watch out for the following:

• A lack of expectation setting
• A lack of training
• A lack of check-ins

The Process Trap:

It’s easy to point the finger at the process. Maybe the process is broken. Maybe there’s no clearly defined process.

Guess who that falls on? You.

The leader is responsible for finding, fixing, or changing broken processes. Look for ways to make sure processes aren’t in the way.

The Resource Trap:

I’ve seen plenty of leaders blame a lack of resources for the failure their department experienced. Maybe a team member brought up that their equipment isn’t working right, the network is slow, or there’s too much scope creep. All of these are resource issues.

You have the responsibility to manage the resources, scope, and to raise the warning flag early. If you fail to do this, the failure is on you.

How Good Leaders Own Outcomes (And Bad Ones Point Fingers)

Now, here’s how you stop pointing fingers and start owning outcomes. It’s not that hard.

1. Pause and own the outcome: Put the blame aside. Instead, pause for a moment. Look at the situation. Accept the blame, even if you feel it is unwarranted.
2. Ask THE ownership question: What could I have done differently in this situation?
3. Conduct a No-Blame post-mortem: Get the team to focus on process gaps and the root cause. Leave the blame at the door.
4. Make the fix: You’ve now owned the outcome. You’ve asked the OWNERSHIP question, and you conducted your post-mortem. It’s now time to commit to the fix.

When people know you won’t throw them under the bus, demean their work, or tear them down, things begin to change in your organization. Rather than hiding issues, your people will raise concerns early in the process.

Let’s stop blaming. Let’s start leading.