Taking Ownership as a Leader

Leadership is about more than just having a title or position of authority. True leadership requires taking full ownership and responsibility for one's team and organization. This means being accountable not just for successes, but failures as well. It means not making excuses or shifting blame, but rather learning from mistakes and using them as opportunities for growth. Here are a few lessons that have been beneficial to my learning journey.

Adopt a "the buck stops here" mentality. As the leader, the ultimate responsibility falls on you. Regardless of what happens, take accountability rather than pinning it on others. If a project goes wrong, avoid saying things like "my team didn't deliver" or "I didn't get the support I needed." Be open about your own shortcomings as well. This will demonstrate integrity and inspire others.

Be transparent and acknowledge mistakes. When things don't go as planned, be upfront about what happened. Share what you've learned and how you will improve moving forward. Apologize when appropriate. Nobody is perfect, so show vulnerability and model how to learn from failure.

Focus on solutions, not blame. It's easy to get sucked into figuring out who is at fault when problems arise. But that wastes precious time and energy. Instead, direct your focus toward reflecting on what went wrong and then brainstorming ways to prevent it in the future. Bring your team together to collaborate on solutions.

Take ownership of team failures. If your team falls short, avoid criticizing them or throwing them under the bus publicly. Take responsibility, even if the failure wasn't your direct doing. Your team needs to know you have their back. Work with them privately to improve.

Give credit to others. While it's important to take ownership as a leader, you also want to avoid taking credit for the accomplishments of your team members. Generously acknowledge and praise the contributions of others. Share how your team's collaborative efforts led to success.

Model the ownership you want to see. Set the tone you expect from your team. If you avoid accountability, so will they. When you take responsibility head on, team members will follow suit. Ownership becomes part of the culture.

Adopt a growth mindset. How you view and react to mistakes greatly impacts your ability to take ownership. See failures as opportunities to get better versus signs of permanent deficiency. Maintain self-compassion; don't beat yourself up endlessly.

Share vulnerabilities and lessons learned. The best way to get team members to take risks and grow is to open up about your own journey first. Talk about big mistakes you've made in the past, what you learned, and how you improved. Let your team know even leaders have growing left to do.

Regularly seek feedback. Making assumptions about your performance as a leader can be dangerous. You may be oblivious to some of your biggest shortcomings. Seek honest input from your team on where you can enhance your leadership skills and take fuller ownership.

Commit to continuous improvement. Taking ownership isn't just about looking back at what went wrong. It's also about striving to continuously get better as a leader. Regularly self-reflect, set goals, and find ways to expand your leadership capabilities over time.

Taking full ownership as a leader requires courage, humility and resilience. It means resisting the urge to protect your ego or pass the buck. When implemented effectively, this mindset earns respect from teammates and sets the foundation for an empowering culture. Leadership isn't just a position; it's an ownership mentality that inspires others to step up as owners themselves.