Episode #58
Why Don't Employees Take Ownership? How Great Leaders Fix It | EP 58
Ever had someone on your team explain exactly why a poor result wasn't their fault? The customer caused it. Another department dropped the ball. The market changed. Management made the wrong decision. And sometimes they're absolutely right. But something doesn't have to be your fault for you to take ownership of what happens next. In this episode of The Long Way Forward , you'll learn a simple leadership shift that can move conversations away from blame and excuses and towards responsibility, problem-solving and action. I first learnt this lesson as a young courier, long before I became a leader. It's stayed with me through more than 30 years in business and leadership, and today it's one of the simplest coaching tools I use: Move from fault to influence. Instead of asking: "Whose fault is this?" Start asking: "What part of this can I influence?" That question changes the conversation. It doesn't mean pretending circumstances don't matter or blaming people for things outside their control. It means recognising what can't be changed, then focusing attention on what can. That's what high performers tend to do differently. When something goes wrong, they don't spend all their energy explaining why it happened. They identify what they can influence and decide what they're going to do next. And leaders have an important role in developing that mindset. We'll explore why simply telling someone to "take more ownership" rarely works, why leaders should coach the behaviours behind results, and how managers can accidentally destroy initiative by second-guessing decisions or punishing every mistake. Because you can't ask people to take ownership while simultaneously teaching them that making a decision is dangerous. In this episode, you'll discover: • Why telling employees to "take more ownership" rarely works • The important difference between fault and ownership • The simple fault to influence leadership tool • Why high performers focus on what they can control • How to coach behaviours rather than simply criticising results • Why results are often the shadow of repeated behaviour • How leaders accidentally discourage initiative • Why mistakes don't automatically mean poor performance • How to create a culture of greater responsibility and accountability If you're leading people who constantly look elsewhere when something goes wrong, don't immediately ask: "Whose fault was this?" Try asking: "What part of this can we influence, and what are we going to do next?" You may be surprised by how quickly the conversation changes. Thanks for listening to The Long Way Forward . If you're enjoying the podcast, follow The Long Way Forward on Spotify for practical conversations about leadership, personal growth and becoming a little better than you were yesterday. You can also continue the conversation and find more from The Long Way Forward on YouTube at @thelongwayforward and LinkedIn. More content: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward
