Act Like You Own It
Make decisions that are more strategic, more long-term, and better.
Years ago, when I was an aspiring assistant manager in retail, I witnessed something that profoundly shaped my approach to leadership and has stayed with me ever since. I remember being on the side-lines, watching intently, as a senior regional leadership team conducted an unannounced visit to a store. They moved through the aisles, observing everything, talking to staff, and making detailed notes.
Eventually, they spoke with the store manager about a number of things, but one particular issue stood out. There was a row of strip lights that had blown, leaving a significant area of product display dimly lit and looking far from its best. The manager’s immediate response was that he’d ordered the lights over a week ago, and there was some kind of delay, though he didn’t really know what the delay was.
The senior leaders pressed him: “What else could you have done?”. He looked a little confused, reiterating that he had “followed the process” and “ordered the lights”. They asked him again, “What else could you have done?”. He remained perplexed.
That’s when they delivered a powerful lesson that has resonated with me throughout my career. They said, “Okay. Listen. Imagine it was your name over the door. This is your family business. You own it. The money in the till is your children’s inheritance. It’s your mortgage payments”. They continued, “Everything that happens is your responsibility. There is no head office. Your reputation is on the line for any complaints or any issues. The success or failure of the store is your success or failure as a businessman”.
With this vivid framing, they asked him once more, “What options might you have considered for those lights?”. The manager paused, clearly thinking differently now. He finally offered, “Well, I probably would have found out what the delay was and maybe challenged it. See if they could come any quicker”. “That’s a great option,” they confirmed.
But they weren’t finished. “What more might you have done if you were absolutely committed to making sure your business was running as well as it possibly could?”. He thought for a while longer, and then, a lightbulb moment (pardon the pun). “Well, I probably would have taken £10 out of the float in the till, popped down to the hardware store and bought the strip lights”.
“That,” they declared, “is exactly how I want you to think in future. I want you to imagine it’s your name over the door. Your business, your responsibility. You have my permission to act exactly how you would if this was your business. Don’t wait for permission. Just tell me afterwards and if I don’t think it’s the right thing, that’s fine. We’ll learn from it but don’t wait, act and treat it as if it’s your business”.
I know that conversation was a watershed moment for that manager. He changed from that day. And so did I.
I’ve taken that mantra with me into every leadership role I’ve had, and I consistently encourage others to embrace this mindset too. It’s a foundational principle in my own leadership philosophy: empowering autonomous professionals to make decisions and take action.
Now, it’s crucial to acknowledge that there’s a significant difference between the fast-paced world of retail and other industries. There’s an even bigger difference, of course, between the private and public sectors. As a senior leader in a public service organisation, I often reflect on how we can effectively apply these lessons.
What about if you are in a frontline role? Sometimes, you’ll find yourself faced with complex decisions that impact the individuals we serve. Perhaps a decision about a request or an expectation from a client. You might feel that the ‘right’ thing to do is to deliver on that expectation, to truly give them what they need, even if it means stretching slightly beyond what strict policies or processes might typically allow. Other times, you might feel the right course of action is to decline a request. When making these choices, consider: would your reasons be the same if it was your business, your name over the door, your reputation, your responsibility, with no “head office” to defer to? What would you do if it was your business, your legacy on the line?
For middle managers, this principle is equally vital. You might, for example, have a team member who isn’t performing as well as expected. You have a decision to make. Do you initiate a formal performance management process, focusing on accountability? Or do you take a more supportive, coaching approach, investing in their development? Perhaps you even consider a more drastic option.
What you might do when you’re part of a large, established organisation could be quite different to what you would do if it was your business, with your name over the door. My experience in leading multidisciplinary teams and driving a culture of inclusivity and accountability has shown me the power of this mindset. It’s about taking the initiative to develop leadership potential and provide the support and guidance that aspiring and established leaders need for continuous growth and transformation.
As a senior leader, the “act like you own it” mentality becomes even more critical, particularly when navigating complex strategic landscapes and partnership arrangements. There will be times when your key strategic partners embark on initiatives that weren’t what you expected, or that might, in some way, hinder your own strategic aims. What’s your immediate reaction? Do you directly tackle them? Do you pick up the phone and talk to their chief executive about opportunities to collaborate? Do you submit a formal complaint, or do you simply let your regional directors know and hope they’ll deal with it?
Now, apply the “own it” lens: What would you do if it was your business, and there was no “head office” to rely on? What would you do if their actions were having a detrimental impact on the delivery of the service that your business relies on? Would you do something different? This is where strategic leadership and stakeholder engagement truly come into play – taking direct responsibility for outcomes rather than carrying on and hoping for the best. It’s about championing proactive approaches to achieve strategic goals and positive outcomes.
In all roles, from the frontline to the most senior executive positions, I believe it’s imperative to ask ourselves this question whenever faced with a difficult decision:
What would I do if this was my business?
What would I do if I owned it?
This perspective isn’t about disregarding established processes, acting recklessly, or circumventing necessary governance. Far from it. It’s about cultivating a deep sense of personal responsibility and accountability that goes beyond simply “following the process”. It’s about taking true ownership of the outcomes, fostering genuine commitment, and seeking out the most effective and impactful solutions, just as you would for something you’ve built, nurtured, and poured your heart into. It’s about empowering yourself and your teams to act with the initiative, creativity, and unwavering responsibility that truly drives positive change, enhances service delivery, and ultimately creates positive impacts within communities. This is how we Level Up leadership – by treating every challenge as if it were our own.
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