This 3-Finger Rule Will Transform How You Lead

Published on January 15, 2025

This past week, fellow thought leader George Walther visited me and shared a story about his mother, Edith. One day, Edith called him and yelled, “Georgie, why didn’t you get this report done on time?” George, looking around the room, pointed at the typewriter. Edith responded, “Look at where you’re pointing. Why is only one finger pointing at the typewriter? The one pointing up – I have no idea who you’re trying to blame up there. But look at the other three fingers—they’re actually pointing right back at you.”

The point of her story was simple: Before blaming others, look at yourself and see what you can do differently. Bingo. Salute to George’s mother, Edith, who was ahead of her time.

As a top sales consultant and top sales keynoter, I wrote in The Velocity Mindset® that effective leaders first look at themselves when something goes wrong. They ask themselves what they could do differently – and then they address the others who have to step up their game.

The key principle here to remember is this: people will more often do what you do, not what you say. If you are asking someone to be vulnerable and evaluate their performance, are you doing that too?

Now, if someone really screwed up with serious consequences, that needs to be addressed immediately. But when it comes to building a culture of accountability, as Edith wisely pointed out, it all starts with you—the leaders of the organization.

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