I don’t pretend to be any kind of an expert on American politics, but I’m aware that they once had a president called Harry S. Truman. A man who, quite naturally, had a lot of important decisions to make during his time in office.

And, as with the debates in England right now, (and regardless of my personal political views) I can’t help but think about how much of a tough gig it must be as the leader of a country.

The decisions I make during the day are usually as pulse-racing as ‘shall I put a wash on tonight’ or ‘which TED talk looks the best?’. Decisions that, by and large, have little effect on anyone else outside of my small social/family circle.

But I am a fan of accountability. If I do something wrong, and I believe it’s my fault, I’ll hold myself accountable.

This is something I always bear in mind while taking criticism from others. As much as I’d like to one day be the greatest writer who ever did live – I’m aware that what I write isn’t always going to be perfect. Particularly if I’m writing for a client.

So I’m always open to suggestion and if I’ve done something that’s not good or wrong – I’ll change it. Too often I see many of us looking to blame, rather than accepting responsibility.

While I’m all for making my own way, I’m aware that – to progress as a creative – you need to accept that the fact the sun doesn’t shine out of your derriere 24/7 and that your work won’t always be top-drawer right away.

It’s the same if you let people down in project work, or if you mess up slightly in a meeting. As we all like to say “we’re only human”. It’s true…or ‘tru’.

Why do I choose Truman for this piece?

Well, below you can see the featured image for this article again…may I draw your attention to the sign on his desk. Something we should all keep in our heads as we go through our days…