“Accept responsibility!” Has anyone ever said that to you? Your parents or coaches? How about a teacher? A boss? I remember being a senior in high school, and as the “star” of our marching band (captain of the drumline), I lived as if I could do whatever I wanted, because I knew I was the MVP. The problem was, I was late to rehearsal...a lot...like, every day. Why? Well, I had to keep my sterling reputation with all the other non-band students on campus, and therefore would prioritize those relationships over my duty to model leadership for everyone in the band. So finally my band director yelled at me one day (in front of about 30 other students), “Act like a leader and accept responsibility!”
Talk about embarrassing! Something snapped in me, and I apologized to him, and immediately began prioritizing showing up early.
Let me suggest that ownership is like the cousin to responsibility. These two words are often used when discussing leadership. Taking ownership is very simply acknowledging that you are in charge of your own decisions. When we act responsibly, we demonstrate that we are aware of our environment, the people around us, and the work in front of us, and therefore, we act. We become an owner of the tasks and goals before us.
Ownership is not just for the CEO, or founder, or your boss. Rather, all of us can be an owner!
1. After being hired at your job, how long do you have to wait to start taking ownership?
2. Do you always work on every task to the best of your ability? Do you accept responsibility for all of your tasks? If not, why not, and what do you do today to give your best?
Part of ownership is giving your best effort, no matter what you’re working on. Another part of ownership is admitting mistakes. Are you staying humble and honest, rather than trying to blame others? Yet another part of ownership is assuming responsibility for not helping a teammate get set up for success.
Imagine you were the owner of the organization. How would you go about planning for success? What would you ensure your team is getting right 100% of the time? Why would you care about your team giving their best every single day? How would you commit to helping your team?
Challenge: Start with your current responsibilities today, and begin thinking like an owner. Ask questions, pursue clarity, take responsibility for any task that involves multiple people, and admit mistakes quickly and humbly. When you do these things, you GAIN TRUST and invariably receive more responsibility! If you want to grow as a leader, apply this mindset to loving your family, and your friends. They may not tell you, but they will be pleasantly surprised at your effort, and will want to follow your leadership!
