Ask Why Not Who

The next time you experience a failure, think about why you failed instead of whom you can blame.

Taking responsibility for your mistakes and failures are the first steps of doing better next time.

Analyzing your failure will help you grow.

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself..

Can I learn from this failure?

Can I turn this failure into a success?

Has anyone else failed this way before?

Did I fail because of me?

Did I set unrealistic goals?

Did I succeed as well as fail?

Can I teach others from what I have just learned, to keep them from failing?

Can I be grateful for this experience?

Where can I go from here?

If you blame others for your failures, and do not take responsibility it will  insure you to remain a victim.  By blaming others you will find yourself moving from problem to problem-from blame to blame, and it will be very hard for you to achieve the goals and the success you are looking to achieve.

It may seem difficult and unfair, but if you take responsibility for everything in your life,  you claim the power to change it.

Lead From Within: Be the first to take responsibility when things go wrong and learn and grow from your mistakes. Ask why and not who….


Lolly Daskal is one of the most sought-after executive leadership coaches in the world. Her extensive cross-cultural expertise spans 14 countries, six languages and hundreds of companies. As founder and CEO of Lead From Within, her proprietary leadership program is engineered to be a catalyst for leaders who want to enhance performance and make a meaningful difference in their companies, their lives, and the world.

Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.

  1. Debbie @ Happy Maker

    16. Sep, 2010

    You are so right here. When we keep blaming other, things never get better. when we look at any given situtation and see what we can change, that is when change happens.
    thank you for the reminder.
    Debbie

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  2. Lolly Daskal

    16. Sep, 2010

    Most people who don’t feel content with their lives don’t know the reason why. Often they blame others and their circumstances. But for most -they have a desire to change and have a better life. But they don’t do anything differently so that they can change. They just hope that all will turn out okay and then they become frustrated when it doesn’t. We need to recognize that only when you make the right changes in your life, (no blaming but taking responsibility) do other things begin to turn out right in our lives.

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  3. Tom Haupt

    21. Sep, 2010

    Great reminder Lolly about the value of operating from responsible. Obviously if I am sitting at a light and my car gets hit, I am not responsible for that act, however, how I choose to move from that place forward in life is key. If I am “victim” to that experience blaming others for my current lack of progress, then certainly my forward movement in life will be hindered. Thanks for this insightful post. Continued success-Tom

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