The ownership mindset - creating self-driven teams
“I made a mistake. We don’t have the information we need to submit the report on time”
I was anxious and embarrassed. Worried that he’d lose all faith in me, be disappointed and worse still that I’d get hauled over the coals. Instead, he paused and asked me “Can you fix this?” Surprised, my brain scrambled into action. I knew what information I needed, and I knew how to get it. I told him I could fix it and he replied “Brilliant, let me know when it’s done”. That was the moment I knew he was a great manager and that I didn’t need to hide from my mistakes. Over the next three years he promoted me twice and I led on some of the biggest projects our organisation was involved with” (Claire, Research Lead)
Claire’s experience is unusual, but imagine for a minute if it wasn’t?
Leaders proudly declare their teams are "empowered". If you stopped and asked them about the last major decision their team made without a manager's input, I’d venture silence is likely to follow. The disconnection between intended and actual team ownership isn't rare, it's the norm. I see a perpetual conflict between leaders who want their teams to be braver, bolder and more innovative but who won’t let go of the reins to let it happen. What happens then? A cycle of resentment, micromanagement and under performance. Creating an ownership mindset takes more than good intentions. It requires a shift in thinking and behaviour.
Why do managers struggle with creating true ownership?
In many cases managers struggle to let go not from lack of desire but from deep-seated fears and organisational pressures. Leaders worry that any mistakes their team makes will reflect poorly on them. After all, they've been promoted based on their expertise and problem-solving skills. A lack of psychological safety creates a low tolerance for risk, so instead of empowering, managers are controlling. This prevents them from letting others lead. And many organisations who talk about empowerment in reality, punish leaders when empowered teams stumble. This cultural paradox traps even well-intentioned managers into control led patterns.
In order to create genuinely empowered teams, organisations must confront these personal and systematic barriers with honesty and openness. Leaders must recognise that they don't need to have all the answers - instead creating environments where others find their own. I remember when I was first leading teams, I was worried that if I didn’t have all the answers people might question my capability. The fear of appearing to be less than, lacking or without the necessary wisdom is getting in the way of our progression. It takes a lot of courage (and psychological safety within a team) to be able to say “I don’t know” but it’s those words, uttered by senior leaders that create a culture where everyone is able to learn.
How do we create teams that truly drive innovation rather than simply executing orders efficiently? Real ownership isn't about leaders doing less, it's about fundamentally reshaping how work happens.
The false promise behind empowerment
Most empowerment efforts fail because they're superficial. Leaders claim to want initiative from their teams but maintain approval requirements for even minor decisions. They ask for ideas but shoot down anything that doesn't align with their thinking. Their words say "take ownership" while their behaviours scream "follow my lead." The result? Team members stop bothering. Leaders remain stuck in control patterns, even as they believe they're being empowering.
Moving from control to enablement
Shifting from controller to enabler requires conscious change. Leaders need to adopt an approach that focuses on creating conditions for success rather than prescribing methods, removing barriers instead of adding requirements and asking questions that encourage thinking rather than promoting compliance.
Reality check: leaders who commit to making this shift will, at first at least, feel discomfort but if they stick with it will be followed by a breakthrough in team performance. Your teams will then be able to solve problems that you didn’t even know existed as the manager.
A strategy of trust
Trust isn't about warm feelings; it's about structural choices. In his pioneering work around leadership and team management Patrick Lencioni writes "Trust is the foundation of real teamwork (there is nothing touchy-feely about this)”
Trust becomes strategic through information sharing that helps teams to make informed decisions, team members who are empowered with the authority to act without approval, consistent boundaries that don't start to shift when pressure mounts and transparency about the larger context and constraints. Effective leaders measure trust not by how they feel, but by counting decisions made without their involvement. How about tracking this metric and celebrating the number of decisions made without a manager's involvement?
Building true ownership
True ownership emerges when teams feel the work belongs to them. Research shows psychological ownership develops when team members have real control over aspects of work that matter, they have detailed knowledge of the work and its context and when people feel a sense of connection and pride - they can say “that work came from me”. Smart leaders create conditions for all three. They establish areas where teams have complete control. They share the "why" behind goals and constraints. And they connect individual contributions to meaningful outcomes rather than abstract targets.
"Members of trusting teams accept questions and input about their areas or responsibility, appreciate and tap into one another's skills and experiences, and look forward to meetings and other opportunities to work as a group." Patrick Lencioni
The ownership progression typically moves from compliance (doing what's required) to engagement (putting in discretionary effort) to true ownership (treating the work as a personal mission). Only the final stage consistently produces innovation.
What happens when things go wrong?
Mistakes will happen in self-driven teams. The critical thing isn't the error itself but how leaders respond. A healthy organisation takes an alternative approach to mistakes which includes:
● Focusing on learning rather than blame and finger pointing
● Strengthening systems rather than adding more management oversight
● Asking "what will you do differently?" rather than dictating changes
● Reaffirming trust explicitly after setbacks
Teams with genuine ownership don't just perform better, they innovate naturally because they really care about outcomes. Teams that innovate are safe to make mistakes, take ownership of their mistakes and discuss them openly with the wider team. Teams who are fearful of reprisals are reluctant to take risks or ownership of work.
Making the shift from controlled to self-driven isn't easy, but it's essential for organisations looking for beyond efficiency.
Ownership assessment
Where does your team sit on the ownership spectrum? Are you creating the conditions for self-direction or subtly maintaining control? The answers will determine whether your team merely performs or truly transforms.
For leaders
When was the last time your team made a significant decision without consulting you?
What percentage of your communication involves questions versus directions?
How often do you change course on team decisions after they've been made?
What information do you have that your team doesn't and why?
What's the smallest change your team could implement without your approval?
For team members
Do you feel personally responsible for outcomes beyond your assigned tasks?
When facing obstacles, do you solve them or escalate them?
Have you initiated a meaningful change in how work happens in the past month?
Do you know how your work connects to broader organisational goals?
When something isn't working, do you feel able to change it without permission?
Happy with your answers? Quietly pleased with yourself or have the questions made you feel slightly uncomfortable?
The good news is that by answering honestly, you’ve got a starting point if change is needed. I work with leaders and managers who are ready to throw away the outdated leadership rule book and want to feel empowered and empower others. My clients don’t pretend to have all the answers, but they are ready to listen to their team members to build healthy, high performing teams. I’ll leave you with one final Lencioni quote “"If you’re not interested in getting better, it’s time for you to stop leading.".
If you’d like to have a conversation to explore how I can support you or your managers I’d love to hear from you.