Closing the Execution Gap: How Great Leaders and Their Companies Get Results

Why We Make Excuses

Listening to the news or observing colleagues and direct reports at work can, at times, be both frustrating and depressing. When asked to justify a decision or explain why something did not happen as planned, many people feel compelled to explain why it was not their fault—and if only they had known a particular fact or if only someone else had done something differently, the less-than-ideal outcome could have been altered.

We’ve all heard the excuses. Excuse making, it seems, is a way of life for many people. In fact, acknowledgement of accountability has become such a rare event that when someone actually does the right thing, we feel compelled to heap praise on that person. Why is it so tough for people to kick the ...