I've found that when my team is struggling to take ownership, it is usually a direct reflection of own unwillingness to take responsibility. Leaders of successful team are the greatest "ownership exhibitors" and empower their team-members to do the same. The rule of thumb: - If credit is given, reflect to the team. - If blame is cast, protect the team.

Ownership is the cornerstone of high-performing teams. To align your team with strategic direction: 1. Clarify the big picture: Help them understand how their work contributes to larger goals. 2. Empower decision-making: Give team members autonomy to make choices within their roles. 3. Foster accountability: Set clear expectations and regularly review progress. 4. Lead by example: Take ownership of your responsibilities and admit mistakes. 5. Recognize initiative: Celebrate team members who step up and take charge. 6. Encourage problem-solving: Instead of providing solutions, guide them to find answers. 7. Provide resources: Ensure they have the tools and support needed to succeed. Be patient and consistent in your approach.

Here's one aspect about ownership that nobody talks about: Your team's NOT taking charge because they don't see the bigger picture. Want to know what works? Start with radical transparency. Share your vision - not just the what, but the WHY behind every decision. Make them feel like insiders. Here's what shocked one leader I worked with: When he started treating his team like strategic partners instead of task-takers, productivity shot through the roof. His secret? He stopped giving orders and started sharing context. Think about it - would YOU take ownership of something if you didn't understand its importance? Time to flip the script. Share your strategic thinking. Trust your team with the bigger picture. Watch what happens.

I once worked with a leader on a mobile app project where the team was just focusing on getting tasks done without understanding the bigger picture. This leader shared a story about how the app would help real people, which made us see the importance of our work. They gave us the freedom to take ownership of different parts of the project and encouraged open communication. By trusting us and being supportive, they helped the whole team feel more invested and responsible for the app’s success.

One of the best way to ensure ownership of key tasks is to institute a RACI policy, in which key movements of the company are identified and assigned several Responsible parties, people who actually get the job done, one and only one Accountable person, ie a person who has final authority on the task, person(s) Consulted, or provides subject matter expertise, and Informed, or is a stakeholder whose function requires an update on the given task. This system makes it crystal clear WHO OWNS WHAT with respect to any given task ...