Followership

CHAPTER 8

Responsibility

Have you ever been in a situation where you had the responsibility to accomplish a task but did not have the authority that goes along with the responsibility? Most of us can answer that question in the affirmative. Having responsibility is the duty or obligation to act.¹ Taking responsibility is acknowledging and accepting the choices you have made, the actions you have taken, and the results they have led to. True autonomy leads to both having responsibility and taking responsibility. Taking responsibility is fulfilling your role in life. Responsibility is an essential element of integrity; it is the congruence of what you think, what you say, and what you do. Responsibility is essential for reciprocity, trust, and ...