Page 141 - Fearless Leadership

128 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

title. Their behavior is consistent with this larger personal context, which
allows them to take 100% accountability. How would you answer the fol-
lowing questions?

• Do you work with others to help achieve the enterprise
objectives and mission? Or do you limit your contributions
to your department, group, or business unit?
• Do you take accountability for your organization’s partnership
with customers, stakeholders, and suppliers? Or do you limit
your focus only to the partnerships that involve you?
• Do you align with decisions and initiatives as if you authored
them yourself, even when you would have preferred a different
course of action? Or do you comply in public and complain
privately to others?
• Do you speak powerfully about the excellence and commitment
of your organization? Or do you feel a lack of pride and owner-
ship in your organization?

If you’re asking the question, “What’s in it for me to act as an owner?”
let me answer that. It’s easy to see how a CEO or executive could act as
an owner because most are financial owners vested in stock options and
equity in the company. With a major portion of their financial portfolio
tied to the success of the company, ownership is easy. But what about lead-
ers and employees who do not have this financial incentive?
The compelling reason to adopt the mindset of an owner is because it
directly impacts your performance and how others perceive you. And if
that’s not enough, let me add another reason: being an owner expands your
capacity and your potential to succeed.
Without leaders acting as owners, the game of business shrinks and peo-
ple focus on their individual areas of responsibility. Victim and entitlement
mentality set in and become a permanent part of the landscape.
Leaders who take 100% accountability and behave as owners are emo-
tionally mature; they think critically about the impact their words and
actions have on the abilities of individuals and groups to progress toward
achieving their goals. They demonstrate what it means to play big and
operate from an enterprise perspective. And, they instill the same behav-
ior in their team.