A Bad Workman Blames His Tools
Posted on Mon 03 November 2025 in Leadership
For a while now, this old proverb has been stuck in my head:
“A bad workman blames his tools.”
It’s one of those lines that sounds like something your grandfather might say, but the older you get, the truer it becomes.
The Meeting That Sparked It
It happened during a logistics meeting. I was there for technical reasons — we’re preparing for what I’ve been calling a heart transplant, replacing our core systems. The talk was all about the new gear, timelines, migration paths — everything shiny and forward-looking.
Then I asked a simple question:
“Have we thought about transporting the old equipment from the rented data centers back to one of our facilities?”
The room went quiet for a moment. Then the manager — can’t really say “leader” — replied:
“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
And there it was — that familiar feeling of the spotlight turning your way, as if responsibility suddenly shifted to you for something everyone else missed.
I don’t mind owning mistakes when they’re mine, but this one wasn’t. The budgets were locked. The plans approved. Yet somehow, I was the convenient target.
That’s when the proverb came back to me — sharp and clear.
What the Proverb Really Means
The line dates back centuries. Originally, it referred to craftsmen who blamed their hammers or chisels when their work went wrong — instead of admitting they hadn’t mastered their craft.
In tech or leadership, the tools just look different: servers, scripts, dashboards, or people. But the habit is the same — to push the fault somewhere else.
- A technician might blame the software or hardware.
- A manager might blame their team.
- A leader might blame the system or “circumstances.”
But in every case, it’s a way of avoiding reflection.
Good workmen — and good leaders — look inward first. They ask, What could I have done differently? They sharpen the tools, train the people, or fix the process. They don’t hide behind excuses.
Reflection Over Deflection
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about taking responsibility for finding them.
When something goes sideways, it’s easy to look for a place to land the blame. But integrity means owning your slice of it — even when it’s uncomfortable.
So whether you’re leading a team or tightening bolts on the floor, remember the old line. It’s lasted this long because it’s true:
“A bad workman blames his tools.”
And maybe, for our modern world:
“A good leader sharpens them.”
— NuX | BlogByNuX