In a bustling city where corporate firms competed fiercely, a mid-sized company sought to expand its workforce. The manager, Mr. TheManager, an astute and no-nonsense leader, believed in efficiency and accountability. With a pressing need for a new team, he hired five individuals: A, B, C, D, and Kana.
On their first day, Mr. TheManager gathered the team and assigned them various tasks. Each person was responsible for different elements of a large project. Kana, seemingly no different from the rest, took on his share of the workload just like everyone else.
Days passed, and it was time for Mr. TheManager to review the team’s progress. TheManager sat at his desk, reports in hand, and examined the work. His sharp eye immediately caught errors—some minor, some significant. Curious, he turned to the team.
“There are mistakes here. Who was responsible for this part?”
Without hesitation, the team—A, B, C, and D—pointed at Kana.
“Kana did this one,” they said almost in unison.
Kana, calm and composed, nodded. “Yes, I did it.”
Mr. TheManager took note but said nothing further.
The following week, another review session took place. Once again, errors were found in different parts of the project. The manager repeated his question, and again, the same response came from the four individuals.
“Kana did this one.”
Kana merely nodded. “Yes, I did it.”
This pattern continued. With each assessment, the mistakes—whether minor or critical—were attributed to Kana. It was as if Kana had been responsible for everything that went wrong. Mr. TheManager, though silent in his observations, grew increasingly skeptical. Could one person really be making all these errors while the rest remained flawless?
One day, after yet another review with the same blame directed at Kana, Mr. TheManager decided it was time for a deeper evaluation. He reviewed the task delegation sheets and saw that every member of the team had been assigned different portions of the project. He cross-checked the work, identifying discrepancies and inconsistencies in areas that Kana hadn’t even been assigned to. Yet, somehow, the blame continued to fall solely on Kana’s shoulders.
TheManager then devised a test. He quietly reassigned work without informing the team. This time, Kana was given a significantly smaller portion, while the rest had major responsibilities. When the review day arrived, Mr. TheManager examined the results. As expected, there were errors—but they were in sections that Kana had never even touched.
Still, when asked, the team responded predictably: “Kana did this one.”
Kana, as always, accepted the blame with a simple nod. “Yes, I did it.”
At this point, Mr. TheManager had seen enough. He took a deep breath, folded his arms, and made an announcement that stunned the room.
“You’re all fired. Except for Kana.”
The room fell silent. The four employees who had spent weeks placing blame were in shock. A was the first to speak. “What? Why are we being fired?”
B followed. “We didn’t do anything wrong! Kana admitted to all the mistakes.”
C and D nodded in agreement, protesting the decision. “Why would you keep Kana when he was responsible for all the errors?”
Mr. TheManager leaned forward; his gaze unwavering. “That’s precisely the problem,” he said. “I don’t need a team that does nothing but point fingers. For weeks, every time I found a mistake, all of you immediately blamed Kana. None of you took any responsibility. None of you stepped forward to acknowledge your own role in the work. If Kana was truly responsible for everything that went wrong, then what were the rest of you even doing?”
Silence. The four stood frozen, unable to argue against the logic.
Mr. TheManager continued, “I reassigned the work without telling you. Kana had very little responsibility last time, yet the mistakes still happened. And still, you blamed Kana. That tells me two things: first, you weren’t really involved enough to know who was responsible for what; and second, you’re more interested in passing blame than in fixing problems.”
He turned to Kana, who stood quietly, neither smug nor victorious. “Kana, you may have accepted blame, but you never once shifted it onto someone else. That tells me something about your character.”
Kana simply nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
The rest of the team, realizing their folly, had no choice but to gather their things and leave.
After their departure, Mr. TheManager approached Kana. “Tell me something,” he asked. “Why did you keep taking the blame when it wasn’t always your fault?”
Kana shrugged slightly. “Because I knew they weren’t willing to accept responsibility. If I argued, it would only create conflict. I focused on doing my best, even if it meant taking the fall.”
Mr. TheManager studied him for a moment before smiling. “Well, you have a place here, Kana. But remember, leadership is not just about accepting blame; it’s about guiding others toward accountability as well. Next time, make sure you teach those around you how to own their actions. That’s how you build a real team.”
Kana nodded, understanding the lesson.
From that day on, Kana worked harder than ever, not just as an employee but as a role model. He helped foster a culture of responsibility and teamwork—one where mistakes were learning opportunities rather than chances to assign blame.
And under his influence, the company thrived like never before.