Many businesses fail today, and often because of management mistakes. Errors in which managers don't want to take responsibility and provide various justifications.

Do you know what these managers are missing? Accountability. It's responsible for overcoming circumstances in search of results, engaging people, and making all the difference.

So, the authors Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman go through this subject in the book “The Oz Principle”.

Do you want to know more about this methodology that can solve your problems, and more, learn a lot from it? Stay with us in this summary and discover everything about it!

The book “The Oz Principle”

Published in 2004, the book, “The Oz Principle”, by Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman, seeks to be a simple guide to solving problems in business and personal life.

Divided into 3 parts, the book aims to address them by teaching the principles of responsibility, individual and organizational, and how it occurs. In addition, the content features real-life examples, tips lists, and self-assessments.

Who are the authors Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman?

Roger Connors is co-founder and advisor for Partners in Leadership. He has extensive experience in management training for senior teams, aiming to bring changes in the culture of organizations.

Tom Smith has a very similar trajectory to Roger, he is also co-founder and advisor for Partners in Leadership. Besides, he has experience in training teams that intend to change their cultures.

Finally, Craig Hickman is the founder of Management Perspectives Group, a company that aims to conduct consultancies that specialize in strategic change. In addition, he has over 12 published books, including The New York Times bestseller “Creating Excellence”.

Why should I read “The Oz Principle”?

The content of the book is ideal for all those who wish to hold or already hold leadership positions.

Also, if you intend to become more responsible for your thoughts, attitudes, results, and forcing organizations to the next level, this book is for you.

What can I learn from “The Oz Principle”?

People and organizations are divided into two levels: above and below the line;
Those who work above aim for success, have the courage to see, solve problems, and take responsibility, the following are the reverse;
Responsibility must be shared with everyone on the team;
Success is also part of the responsibility;
Troubleshooting is divided into four steps: view, own, solve and execute;
Get courage and see the problems;
Take responsibility and face the facts;
Attack the right problem, as many solve problems that aren’t problems.

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Are you above or below the line?

Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman use a line to separate achievement from non-achievement, in other words, failure from success.

Everyone who works above this line aims for success, they are mustered with the courage to see problems, the wisdom to solve them, and the ability to execute the solution. This is simply the standard of responsibility that you and your organization must consistently pursue to achieve the desired results.

But those that are below this line are the opposite, who lives surrounded by excuses, take no responsibility, only take care of themselves, and cover up problems.

Today, many difficulties that companies face are because people refuse to take responsibility. When things go wrong, they blame each other and try to hide the problems.

“It’s much easier to preach responsibility than to practice it.”

How to take responsibility for the results?

“The Oz Principle” reports the scenario of many organizations where responsibility is viewed as a sense of guilt and is only spoken when things fail. When all goes well, few care about who is responsible for the results.

You know that success is included in responsibility too, not just failure. Moreover, it must be shared with everyone on the team.

“When everyone is responsible for achieving organizational results, not just doing their job, the right things tend to happen.”

People who have a spirit of responsibility are surrounded by the following characteristics:

Ask for sincere feedback and constructive opinions;
Always want the truth to face the facts;
Take control and command of your work and results;
Ask themselves the question: “What else can I do?”;
Know how to manage their time, don’t spend it on things that don’t add value and are beyond their control;
They are committed and striving at all times for what they are doing.

Look at the problems: how to see them?

When we don’t have courage, we refuse to see problems out of fear. But be aware that you can never solve a problem without first seeing it.

The authors say their departures and apologies are absolutely ridiculous. The time has come to get courage and see the problems.

“Focus your efforts on removing the obstacles that stand between you and the desired results.”

Take ownership of the problems: how to take them on?

In organizations, we have two types of people, those who take responsibility and correct errors, and those who reject responsibility and have no attitude.

The authors’ tip is that you face facts because when you just watch the game, you automatically waive the ability to interfere with the outcome.

So take ownership of the problems and care enough about the situations.

Solve the problems: how to do it?

“The Oz Principle” reports that many current managers don’t solve problems. Moreover, they make it clear that we should never act solely for action or change for the sake of change.

To distinguish between what needs to be done and what doesn't, you have to put prudence, wisdom, and leadership into practice.

Another considerable point is time management, after all, a lot of time is wasted on unnecessary actions that add no value to the business.

To get you right at this stage, Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman suggest that you use your “problem solver”:

Persist: be stubborn until you hit your goal;
Think differently: look for new views and opinions different from yours;
Create new leads: build relationships, and have a good network of contacts;
Take action: don't wait for others, take action and go;
Be aware: getting involved and staying involved is essential.

How to act when facing problems?

Once you have seen the problem, purchased it, and created a solution, it's time to take action. Acting often seems scary or risky, but we have no solution but to act. If you do not act, all your efforts will become worthless.

One suggestion from the authors is that we should apply leadership principles to ourselves and the organization. Here we gather the main points of the checklist:

Be responsible in the way you want your employees to be;
Make people responsible for developing them;
Ask for feedback constantly;
Train and develop others in a respectful and patient manner.

Books about management and leadership

In the recommended “Everybody Matters”, Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia explore how true leaders must continually study to develop and develop those around them so that they can also become excellent leaders who believe and value people. In addition, employees should be encouraged to innovate and try new things.

Brené Brown, in “Dare to Lead”, says that a leader must take responsibility for recognizing the potential of people and their ideas and encouraging them to develop that potential. They know that true power is that shared with all.

Finally, in “Awaken the Giant Within”, Tony Robbins explains that maintaining a commitment to your decisions can be challenging, but the harder you try, the easier it gets. So, when you fail to evoke a change in your life, don't be discouraged. Instead, think about what you can learn from failure.

How can I apply the ideas from “The Oz Principle”?

Only when you take complete control of your responsibility, you are able to guide your own destiny.

To do this, we have listed the top 10 most threatened issues for organizations so you can work on them and achieve good results.

Poor communication;
Personal development;
Empowerment;
Misalignment;
Rights;
The imbalance between work and personal life;
Poor performance;
Development of senior management;
The dispute between departments;
Schedule yourself.

Remember that maintaining responsibility and making your way different is what will determine your success.

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The Oz Principle - Roger Connors, Tom Smith and Craig Hickman

Learn more about the accountability methodology, in a search for results and engaging people through the use of responsibility to achieve exceptional results.