Over the years, I’ve found myself returning to the same question whenever discussions about leadership, ownership, and accountability come up.
The answer has never been obvious to me.
In fact, the more people I manage and the more businesses I observe, the less certain I become.
What follows is an attempt to think through the question rather than answer it.
Question#1: One thing you’ve often said is that most people want to be told what to do. Is that really true?
Answer #1: I don’t think people necessarily want to be told what to do. I think they want clarity. There is a difference. Most people are comfortable making decisions once they understand the objective, the boundaries, and how success will be measured.
Question#2: Then why do managers often complain about a lack of ownership?
Answer #2: Because managers usually observe the symptom, not the cause. They see people waiting for instructions and conclude that people lack initiative. What they don’t always see is the risk calculation happening underneath.
Question#3: What risk calculation?
Answer #3: In many organizations, following instructions is safer than making decisions. If I do exactly what I was told and the outcome is poor, responsibility is shared. If I take initiative and the outcome is poor, responsibility may rest entirely on me.
Question#4: So waiting for instructions can be rational?
Answer #4: Absolutely. It may not be ideal, but it is often rational.
Question#5: Then what explains the opposite problem? People who act independently but become defensive when questioned
Answer #5: That’s the pattern I find most interesting. Many people want autonomy. Far fewer want accountability. The two are often mistaken for each other.
Question#6: What’s the difference?
Answer #6: Autonomy is the freedom to make decisions. Accountability is accepting that those decisions will be evaluated. People often enjoy the first part and struggle with the second.
Question#7: Isn’t that human nature?
Answer #7: To some extent, yes. Nobody enjoys being wrong. Nobody enjoys criticism. But ownership begins where defensiveness ends.
Question#8: What have you learned after managing people for years?
Answer #8: That ownership is much rarer than intelligence, experience, or skill. True ownership means being comfortable saying, “This was my decision. Here’s why I made it. Here’s what I learned.”
Question#9: So what is the real job of a leader?
Answer #9: To create an environment where people know the outcome, understand the boundaries, and feel safe enough to exercise judgment. Most people don’t need more instructions. They need more clarity.
Question#10: And what is the real job of an employee?
Answer #10: To recognize that authority and accountability are a package deal. You can’t sustainably ask for one while avoiding the other.
