How to make a difference: be someone who acts

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of Mother Teresa and the work she did helping the poorest of the poor. To me, she’s the epitome of what it means to having a caring mindset. A true star, Mother Teresa was straightforward in her approach to working with the poor. She was thoughtful in how she approached everything she did. She was accountable to both herself and to those she dedicated herself to helping.

She had resolved and she never gave up. What inspired me the most about Mother Teresa was her accountability. She never waited for someone else to do something.

People with caring mindsets like Mother Teresa hold themselves to the highest standards before they hold anyone else accountable, and it’s what real leaders do. Someone who worked with Mother Teresa told the story of her abandoning an event at which she was to be a guest of honor. Instead of being a rude and disrespectful gesture, it was a pure example of being accountable.

On her way to the event, Mother Teresa saw a man that needed assistance badly. Instead of passing by him or asking someone else to help, she took accountability. She tended to the man instead of attending the event.

All of us have people who inspire us. It does not have to be Mother Teresa or someone with celebrity. It can be a schoolteacher, a doctor, a next-door neighbor, a family member. Here is the thing about accountability and inspiration. We each have the ability, To paraphrase Nike, we just need to do it.

Mother Teresa inspired me and I try to inspire others every day of my life. Being an inspiration starts with being accountable. Whether we are cleaning bathrooms or sitting in the corner office, ask yourself how you can inspire others. Your answer can mean the difference between a caring mindset and one that is indifferent. I know which one I prefer.

One of the world’s pre-eminent experts on quality and process improvements, Subir Chowdhury is the #1 international bestselling author on SIX SIGMA philosophy. Hailed by The New York Times as a “leading Quality expert,” and by Business Week as “the Quality Prophet”, he is the author of 15 books. His latest book THE DIFFERENCE: When Good Enough Isn’t Enough (Crown Business, 2017) made it to the USA Today Bestseller list as well as National Bestseller in India. In 2017, India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur established the ‘Subir Chowdhury School of Quality and Reliability’ – the first of its kind in Asia. He is the Chairman and CEO of ASI Consulting Group and helped his clients save billions of dollars.