Ownership Vs Accountability

Do you take the ownership of being accountable?

or

Do you remain accountable for taking / building ownership?

Lets focus on this for a while from a life perspective.

Our personalities are shaped over the years and we end up taking ownership or building ownership or simply remaining accountable for the work on hand. This is so true once you are able to see the thin line that divides the term and the factors that determine and complete the meaning of the same.

Eg 1 - Eldest in a family usually takes ownership of running the household by earning a livelihood and is accountable to building ownership down the line in the time to come so that the family / household income grows collaboratively.

Eg 2 - At work, ownership becomes a million dollar issue. 'Situations' determine, 'allocation of responsibility' determines, 'proactive initiative' determines, 'left with no choice' etc. determines who take up ownership and who takes up accountability and who takes up both.

Eg 3 - In social situations it is usually the eldest or the popular or the most vocal who decides this. Have you noticed, such a person rarely takes up either but allocates to others. But then isn't that a form of ownership either? Or maybe the power of negotiation / bargaining makes it happen?

To confuse you more, the examples above only complicate the understanding of the two terms. Lets make it simple :-

Ownership - Its my work, I will finish it or get it done and ensure it is brought to a logical end. Its my neck on the line.

Accountability - It may or may not be my ownership but I am accountable for it. Its my trust on the line.

To close, one question is left. Are both required or is one enough...? Well that depends on the factors that determine / complete the meaning of the two words.

In fact you may take ownership or accountability or both only once or some times or all the time. [ It depends, isn't it ?]

Accept responsibility for your actions.

Be accountable for your results.

Take Ownership of your mistakes.