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O is for Ownership Across the Whole Team
- Aug 3
- 3 min read
Welcome! This article is part of an A–Z series where I’m sharing reflections on the patterns I keep seeing in teams, leadership and workplace culture.
Not theory. Not tips. Just observations from real working life.
One of the most common things I hear from leaders is:
"It would just be easier if I did it myself."
At first, it can sound like common sense. In reality, it's usually a sign that someone has been carrying too much for too long.
Over the years, I've met countless leaders who seem to have become responsible for everything. The decisions. The problems. The difficult conversations. The projects that really ought to belong to someone else. Without meaning to, they've become the person everyone relies on because, somewhere along the line, the team stopped taking responsibility for stepping in.
The irony is that most of those teams are made up of capable, intelligent people who genuinely want to do a good job.
So how does it happen?
From what I've seen, ownership isn't something you can insist on. It's something you create.
When people don't feel confident, aren't clear about what's expected, or worry about making a mistake, they naturally look to their manager for reassurance. If that manager continually steps in to solve problems, answer every question or rescue every situation, the pattern becomes established. Nobody sets out for it to happen, but before long, one person is carrying the responsibility for everyone else.
That isn't good for the leader, and it certainly isn't good for the team.
The figures reflect what many of us see every day. In the UK, only around one in ten employees describe themselves as actively engaged at work. At the same time, work-related stress, anxiety and depression remain one of the biggest causes of sickness absence. When leaders feel they have to hold everything together, it's rarely just their wellbeing that's affected. Teams become less confident, less proactive and increasingly reliant on someone else making the decisions.
This is why I believe self-awareness sits at the heart of ownership.
Ownership starts with understanding ourselves.
It starts when people recognise the impact their behaviour has on others. When they begin to notice their habits, assumptions and reactions. When they become curious rather than defensive. When they realise that choosing not to act has just as much impact as taking action.
I've found that when people develop that level of self-awareness, things begin to change.
They don't wait to be prompted.
They notice issues before they become bigger problems.
They have conversations they've previously been avoiding.
They admit mistakes without feeling the need to defend themselves because they see them as part of learning rather than something to hide.
Perhaps most importantly, they understand that ownership isn't about having all the answers. It's about taking responsibility for the part you can influence.
I've watched teams change dramatically when this becomes part of the culture.
Conversations become more open.
People do what they say they'll do.
Managers spend less time firefighting and more time leading.
Colleagues help one another because they want the team to succeed, not because someone has told them to.
Ownership stops sitting with one person and becomes something that's shared across the whole team. For me, that's what a healthy workplace looks like. Not perfect. Not a place where everyone works in isolation. Simply a team of people who understand themselves well enough to take responsibility for their actions, their behaviour and the contribution they make every day.
Because ownership isn't about working harder. It's about thinking differently, taking responsibility for what is yours, and creating a culture where everyone plays their part. When that happens, leaders can finally stop carrying the whole team and get back to doing what they do best: leading.
If this resonated, it’s probably because you’re seeing it too.
Philippa x
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