Embracing the "Own IT" Mentality: My Journey as a Leader

As a leader, I’ve learned that no challenge truly shifts and no obstacle actually gets overcome until I take full ownership of it.

Early in my career, I used to think there were external reasons for every problem I encountered. You know what I'm talking about. The sometimes overwhelming problems that found my desk each and every day. Challenges brought by employees, market conditions, the board of directors, our team dynamics, pending deadlines, struggling finances, hard to deal with customers - the list can be endless.

But over time, I came to understand that true leadership means taking full responsibility, regardless of circumstances. This is what Jocko Willink calls Extreme Ownership, and adopting my form of it, which I simply call "Own IT", fundamentally changed the way I approached my responsibilities.

For me, embracing an Own IT mentality meant looking in the mirror whenever things went off track, asking, What could I have done differently? and How can I help my team overcome this?

There’s real power in taking personal responsibility for everything within my sphere of influence—it’s humbling and challenging but also incredibly rewarding.

This shift didn’t just drive results. It created an environment where everyone could feel empowered to step up, learn from mistakes and drive forward.

A number of weeks ago during a group coaching session with a great client, I made a mistake. I immediately took ownership of the mistake and clarified my intentions and asked for forgiveness and grace.

After the session, one of the attendees came up to me and thanked me for doing what I have been teaching. They thanked me for "walking my talk". It was a very powerful moment that reinforced what I know and provided a real-life teaching moment for the attendee.

I’d love to hear from you. Have you experienced the transformative impact of taking full ownership in your role? How did it shape you as a leader and what impact did it have on your team?

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Today, I shared how an "Own IT" mentality has helped me grow as a leader and inspired others to aim higher. I trust it resonated with you and gave you some ideas to consider.

Please feel free to reach out and share your experiences; I value every connection. Stay tuned for next week's issue, where we’ll dive into specific ways to help you and your team adopt an Own IT mindset too.