The most effective teams are groups of ALL leaders in which everyone is taking personal ______ for the team's success.

• A. Initiative
• B. Responsibility
• C. Credit
• D. Authority

Answer: (B)

Groups of leaders work best when everyone owns the outcome. Taking personal responsibility means each member actively owns the team’s results, follows through on commitments, and holds themselves accountable for both success and failure. This mindset keeps the team aligned, accelerates problem-solving, and reduces blame-shifting, since people focus on fixing issues rather than pointing fingers. Initiative can push actions forward, but without ownership of the overall result, efforts can become fragmented. Credit centers on recognition, which can undermine collaboration, and authority is about power to act, not about owning the outcome. So taking personal responsibility is the heart of an effective, high-performing team.