WHAT IS POSSIBLE?
  • Welcome
  • The Aligned Leader Blog
  • Consulting and Coaching Opportunities
  • My TED X Talk
  • My Leadership Blog
  • Run Your Life Podcast Series
  • How PYP PE with Andy Has Helped Others
  • Good Teaching is L.I.F.E
  • The Sportfolio
  • Example Assessment Tasks
  • PYP Attitude Posters (printable)
  • Publications

LEADERSHIP, LEARNING, &  PErsonal Growth

A story of Accountability

4/16/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo Credit: https://quotefancy.com/quote/1552174/Pat-Summitt-Accountability-is-essential-to-personal-growth-as-well-as-team-growth-How-can

More than 200 years ago, a disease called Puerperal Fever, also known as the Black Death of Child Bed, spread across Europe and made its way to America. This disease ravaged Europe and America and was responsible for the deaths of thousands of women. What was happening was that women were dying within 48 hours after giving birth.  And in some cases, the statistics were shockingly high, reaching up to 70% of women dying within days of giving birth. 

​As it was the renaissance period, science and medicine had taken center stage. No longer was tradition and mysticism a normal part of society. The doctors of the day were considered to be highly intellectual and men of science who knew everything. 

As Puerperal Fever continued to grip communities across America and Europe, it was these men of science who wanted to find out the root cause of what was happening, so they got to work. In the mornings they would conduct autopsies and study the corpses of the women who had died. Later in the day, they would deliver babies. 

Around 1850, a physician by the name of Oliver Wendall Holmes realized that the doctors who had been conducting autopsies in the morning were not washing their hands before going to deliver babies in the afternoon. He immediately called out the doctors within the medical system and told them that ‘they were the problem’.

​What ensued was a tragedy. These doctors ignored him and called him crazy and for 30 years they continued their same routines each day. And during this time, Puerperal Fever continued to steal the lives of countless women. 


Finally, someone realized that if the doctors simply washed their hands and sterilized their equipment, the Black Death of Child Bed would go away. And that is exactly what happened.

I first heard this story in a Simon Sinek talk that he gave a few years ago. In Simon’s own words he says: 

“My lesson here is sometimes YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. People can sometimes blame everyone else, but my point is take accountability for your actions. You can take all the credit for the things you do right AS LONG AS you also take responsibility for the things you do wrong. It must be a balanced equation.”

It can be very easy to point blame everywhere else in our lives when things do not go well. When we encounter things such as resistance, push-back, failed projects, relationships gone bad, etc, it can be our default setting to blame others. But, as illustrated in Simon’s story, to what extent might we be the problem? 

This story applies to everyone in every role, but even more so for the leaders in today’s world. To lead with authenticity and purpose and put people first in an organization, leaders must remember to always balance the equation. Absolutely celebrate and take credit for the successes of your organization, but be equally ready to take responsibility when things go wrong or need to be improved. 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Author

    KAUST Faculty, Pedagogical Coach. Presenter & Workshop Leader.IB Educator. #RunYourLife podcast host. 
    Speaker. Husband, Father, Golfer #Physed #TedX

    Check out my about.me profile!
    Tweets by @andyvasily

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2021
    October 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    RSS Feed

    RSS Feed

Helping Kids to Achieve Their Best
  • Welcome
  • The Aligned Leader Blog
  • Consulting and Coaching Opportunities
  • My TED X Talk
  • My Leadership Blog
  • Run Your Life Podcast Series
  • How PYP PE with Andy Has Helped Others
  • Good Teaching is L.I.F.E
  • The Sportfolio
  • Example Assessment Tasks
  • PYP Attitude Posters (printable)
  • Publications