The Power of Clear Ownership — And Leading Without Carrying Everything

The Power of Clear Ownership — And Leading Without Carrying Everything

Here's a leadership question I think every business owner should answer:

Who owns this?

Not:

“Who helps with this?”

Not:

“Who usually handles this?”

Not:

“Who knows something about this?”

Who owns it?

Because when everybody owns something...

Usually nobody does.

Shared Responsibility Sounds Better Than It Works

I see this frequently in small businesses.

Everyone pitches in.

Everyone wears multiple hats.

Everyone helps wherever needed.

There's nothing inherently wrong with that.

Until something doesn't happen.

Then comes the conversation:

“I thought she was doing it.”

“I didn't know that was mine.”

“Nobody told me.”

“I usually help with it, but I didn't know I was responsible for it.”

That's not necessarily an employee problem.

That's an ownership problem.

Ownership Creates Freedom

This sounds counterintuitive, but clearly assigning responsibility doesn't make an organization more rigid.

It often makes it more independent.

When people know:

This belongs to me.

They can think differently.

They can plan.

They can solve problems.

They can improve processes.

They can anticipate needs.

They can lead.

And perhaps most importantly:

You can stop carrying it. Dare I say it… You could actually step away for a day or two. Maybe even a camping trip 😊

This Is Where Many Leaders Get Stuck

There's a moment in the growth of almost every entrepreneur when the skill that built the business starts limiting the business.

In the beginning, your willingness to do everything is an advantage.

You sell.

You answer phones.

You handle problems.

You create.

You manage.

You lead.

You clean up the mess.

Whatever needs to happen—you make it happen.

That's Hard Charger behavior.

But eventually, Hard Charger behavior has to evolve.

Because running toward the hard doesn't mean carrying everything forever.

Sometimes the hard thing is letting go.

Sometimes it's trusting.

Sometimes it's training someone instead of doing it yourself.

Sometimes it's creating a process.

Sometimes it's having an uncomfortable accountability conversation.

Sometimes it's admitting:

“The way I've been leading worked to get us here, but it won't get us where we're going.”

That's capacity.

The Comfort Chaser vs. The Hard Charger

The Comfort Chaser keeps doing what's familiar.

Even when it's exhausting.

Even when it's inefficient.

Even when everyone depends on them.

Because changing the structure feels uncomfortable.

The Hard Charger asks:

What does the next version of this business require from me?

And sometimes the answer is:

Less doing. More leading.

Your Leadership Command

Take a piece of paper and create two columns.

ONLY I CAN DO

and

SOMEONE ELSE SHOULD OWN

Then look at your calendar from the last two weeks.

Start sorting.

You may discover that your problem isn't a lack of time.

Your problem is that you're carrying responsibilities your business has outgrown you carrying.

Help Me Shape What's Coming Next

Over the next several months, I'm digging deeper into the real obstacles facing business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Not theoretical leadership problems.

Your problems.

Where are you stuck?

People?

Systems?

Delegation?

Accountability?

Growth?

Time?

Leadership structure?

Or maybe you know something isn't working, but you can't identify exactly what it is.

I'd like to hear it.

Because sometimes an outside set of eyes can see what is almost impossible to see when you're standing in the middle of it every day.

And your answers will help me decide what I tackle next in The HARD Report.

You don't build capacity so you can carry everything.

You build capacity so you can lead what you're building.

Run Toward the Hard.

I promise, it will change you.

Ilke