Taking Responsibility… Don’t Get Voted Off the Island!

 Ignoring This Concept of Taking Responsibility Can Get You Voted Off the Island!

The 77th Annual Emmy Awards this year did not disappoint! I was moved by many of the acceptance speeches, most notably the one from the 15-year old star of the new show “Adolescence,” Owen Cooper. He said… “I think tonight proves that if you listen and focus and you step out of your comfort zone, you can achieve anything in life. Who cares if you get embarrassed? Anything can be possible. Taking responsibility matters. I was nothing about three years ago, I’m here now.”

Wise words of encouragement from a special young man, to be sure. At an after-party later in the evening, Owen went on to talk in much more detail about taking responsibility for your life, something I believe in strongly.

From time to time someone joins one of my mentoring programs and then begins to blame everyone else – including me and other mentees – when they do not achieve the success they are looking for online. This turns into a habit of complaining and even lashing out during my webinars, something I do not tolerate. This is how I handle this situation when it arises…

I remain calm and attempt to listen to every word they say. I offer some advice and possible solutions, and invite the other mentees to do so as well. When this does not make a difference after a month or so, I ask them to take a break from my program and to then schedule a call with me to see where they are and if their mindset and actions have shifted. If not, they are voted off my island, forever. Lest you think this is too harsh, I’ll share a story with you from last night…

The people who invited me to watch the Emmy Awards at their house are long-time friends. The husband is an actor who was a household name during the 80s and into the 1990s. At some point, he got a reputation as being difficult to work with, but he chose to never take responsibility for his words and actions. It was during an outburst while filming a scene on the set of the television series he was part of at the time that he exploded, berating the director, the show runner, and another actor. A studio executive happened to be on set at the time, and fired him on the spot.

Yes, he was voted off the island and has worked in TV and film very little since that day. A better strategy would have been to stop talking, apologize, and to schedule a time to speak privately with the people he was upset with at the time. He still hasn’t done this, and now it’s too late. Have you ever encountered a situation like I’m describing here? If so, you most likely have memories of how you perceived what was going on at the time. And over time, you may think differently about what happened and how you could have said or done things differently.

Remember the reality show Survivor? Contestants don’t usually get voted off because of one mistake. They get voted off because, over time, they avoid responsibility. They don’t help around camp. They point fingers. They make excuses. And eventually, their “tribe” decides they aren’t worth keeping around and votes them off the island.

The same thing happens in the world of writing, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Your “tribe” is your readers, your audience, your clients, and your collaborators. If you don’t take responsibility for your actions—or your lack of action—they will quietly (or not so quietly) vote you off the island.

Let’s look at how this plays out…

What It Means to Take Full Responsibility

Taking responsibility doesn’t mean you control everything. It means you own your results. You own the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Excuse-makers deflect. They say things like:

• “It’s the market’s fault.”

• “Nobody understands me. They just don’t get me.”

• “The timing wasn’t right.”

Responsibility-takers, on the other hand, say:

• “What can I learn from this?”

• “How can I adapt?”

• “What do I need to improve?”

One path builds trust. The other path gets you voted off the island.

Writers Who Get Voted Off the Island

Writers are masters of words, but sometimes those words become excuses:

• “People don’t read anymore.”

• “The publishing industry is broken.”

• “Readers just don’t get my genius.”

Here’s the truth: people are reading more than ever. They’re just selective about what they give their time to. If your work isn’t connecting, that’s on you—not on the audience.

Readers reward writers who publish consistently, improve their craft, and engage authentically. If you’re sitting around blaming “the market,” you’re essentially refusing to build the fire at camp. And you know what happens next—the tribe votes you off.

Marketers Who Get Voted Off the Island

Marketing is a constant game of change and adaptation. But some marketers cling to excuses like a life raft:

• “The algorithm killed my reach.”

• “Nobody buys in this niche anymore.”

• “I tried one launch and it didn’t work, so marketing doesn’t work for me.”

Algorithms change. Niches evolve. Campaigns flop. That’s the reality. But the marketers who stay on the island are the ones who test, tweak, and keep showing up.

Your audience votes with their clicks, their opens, and their purchases. If they sense that you’re blaming rather than innovating, they’ll shift their loyalty to someone else—someone who takes full responsibility for delivering value.

Entrepreneurs Who Get Voted Off the Island

Entrepreneurship is all about ownership. And yet, some entrepreneurs fall into the blame game:

• “The economy is bad, so I can’t succeed.”

• “My team isn’t reliable.”

• “It’s just not the right time to launch.”

The economy may be tough. Teams may fail. Timing is rarely perfect. But responsibility-takers pivot, lead, and execute anyway.

Customers and collaborators don’t want excuses. They want leaders who take action and solve problems. If you spend your energy pointing fingers instead of building solutions, don’t be surprised when your tribe votes you off.

The Survivor Tie-In: Why Responsibility Matters

On Survivor, responsibility looks like building the fire, sharing food, and owning mistakes. In business, responsibility looks like delivering on promises, adapting when things go wrong, and learning from failure.

When you consistently take responsibility, you build trust. And trust is the currency that keeps you “on the island.” Without it, you’re gone.

Four Ways to Stay on the Island

1. Own Every Outcome – Successes, failures, and everything in between.

2. Adapt Quickly – Don’t complain about the storm; build a better shelter.

3. Serve the Tribe – Add value first, whether it’s through content, products, or leadership.

4. Eliminate Excuses – Notice when you’re blaming, and reframe it into action.

Conclusion

In the game of writing, marketing, and entrepreneurship, responsibility isn’t optional—it’s survival.

Your readers, your audience, your customers—they’re watching. They’re deciding every day whether to keep you around or quietly vote you off.

The good news? You control the vote by owning your role, your results, and your responsibilities.

So ask yourself: are you building the fire… or waiting for someone else to strike the match?

I’m bestselling USA Today and Wall Street Journal author Connie Ragen Green. My goal is to help at least a thousand people to reach six-figures and beyond with an online business for time freedom and passive income and to simplify your life. Come along with me, if you will and let us discover how we may further connect to achieve all of your dreams and goals. This is also why I want you to think about taking full responsibility to jump start your goals, and to make sure you never get voted off the island. Perhaps my “Monthly Mentoring Program” is right for you.