[April 10, 2017] A leader can be the best for the job, can be the smartest and strongest person, and can have all the resources available … but can still fail. We’ve all seen it happen when one of our best leaders fails to accomplish an important mission. Authentic leaders will never blame others or outside events for such a failure because they take ownership of it.
Taking personal ownership means that a person cares about the outcome of an issue, mission, or thing and is motivated to do something right. It is basic human psychology to have the enthusiasm to take all actions necessary if, and only if, they believe they own it. Of course, ownership in this context does not mean ownership in the sense of property but intellectually and emotionally in the sense of having accountability and caring.
“Officers who don’t own the mission will inevitably fail to achieve it. They should be summarily dismissed if they fail to take such ownership when their soldiers are in combat.” – Unknown U.S. senior officer at beginning of Iraq War
Motivating people to take ownership is no small task and to do so easily is the dream of all leaders everywhere. When people are empowered they know their input is taken seriously and used. They know they have been given the authority to make those decisions required to get the job done. And, they are part of helping create a vision and the methods to achieve it. When these three things are part of a work culture, then it is possible to see excellence it outcomes.
A young lady I know always seemed to do well in her job and so one day I asked her to tell me her secret to success. She wasn’t especially outgoing or pretty (in the physical sense), so that wasn’t why she was so successful at work but she said it was simple; “never refuses work from the boss.”
Many of her colleagues, when asked to do extra work, would say that it wasn’t their job; they were right. They were right but they were not successful. They didn’t have ownership. That lesson should never be far away from our minds as leaders.
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