Here at Modig Leadership, one of our favorite phrases is that you are 100% responsible for your 1%.
I know what you are thinking… ‘What does that even mean!?! And, how does this relate to ownership?!?’
Well, allow us to explain.
In the grand scheme of things, ownership is essentially just taking responsibility for what is yours, because you as an individual are accountable for:
- Your responsibilities
- Your role
- Your choices and their outcomes
- Your emotions
- Your past
- Your actions
- Your thoughts
- Your words
Each of these facets interact to create your reality and how it impacts those around you.
When you take ownership of your own accountabilities, you empower yourself and others to take ownership of their accountabilities.
This leads to higher productivity, accountability, and motivation amongst yourself and others. It also will provide your team with a deeper connection and understanding of one another by building up mutual trust and respect for each other, each other’s roles and responsibilities, and outcomes.
Unfortunately, ownership is not as easy as it seems….
And the easiest trap to fall into that goes against ownership is justification.
Justification is essentially the exact opposite of ownership, where you try to displace responsibility or accountability.
Justification is so easy to fall into, but at the end of the day, it can really get you stuck in some sticky situations.
First of all, it creates a blindness that does not allow for you to see the bigger picture in regards to how you and what you need to take ownership of interacts with others and what they need to take ownership of.
Secondly, it robs you of your willingness to get stuff done, or take control of your stuff by removing your accountability. It makes it so easy for you to blame another person for what didn’t get done, what went wrong, or how you feel.
And guess what?
When you blame another person for something that you should have taken ownership of, it threatens their identity and can lead to feelings of distrust, contempt and anger, eroding your relationship.
So… how can you start taking ownership and avoid the trap of justification?
Firstly, start taking note of your blaming tendencies!! As I said earlier, it can be so easy to fall into the tendencies of justification because we don’t even realize that we are doing it sometimes. So, next time you are feeling frustrated with a situation, step back and ask yourself “What is my role in this?”
Secondly, practice your power. As autonomous beings, we have the power of choice… and luckily with ownership, that power to make decisions is amplified because we are in control of our lives and we are responsible for outcomes within our lives.
Lastly, practice accountability. This is what ownership is all about, and when you hold yourself accountable to other people, you are practicing taking ownership. This will in turn build a sense of accountability towards yourself!
Ownership is such a transformative and necessary skill in order to navigate through life and bring success. So, be sure to take the time to start embracing it today!
