Ownership and Accountability for Leaders
Professional Leadership Training
Momentum Dynamic Performance
105 Minutes
"Leadership is not about having control—
it's about taking responsibility."
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Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Define ownership and accountability and distinguish between the two
- Apply principles of personal responsibility and proactive problem-solving to leadership challenges
- Demonstrate strategies to empower teams and create shared accountability
- Integrate techniques from proven leadership frameworks into daily practices
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Ownership vs. Accountability
Ownership
Taking full responsibility for outcomes, regardless of external factors. It means looking beyond your direct control and asking "What can I do differently?"
Accountability
Ensuring commitments are met through actions, transparency, and follow-up. It's the commitment to deliver results and accept outcomes.
Discussion Starter
"Think of a time when accountability was unclear—what was the impact on your team or organization?"
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Three Leadership Frameworks
Common principles from widely recognized leadership models:
Extreme Ownership
Principle: Leaders own everything in their sphere—no excuses, no blame.
Turn the Ship Around!
Principle: Shift from leader–follower to leader–leader model through intent-based leadership.
The Oz Principle
Principle: "See it, own it, solve it, do it" - staying above the line of accountability.
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Extreme Ownership
Core Principle
"Leaders own everything in their sphere of influence. No excuses, no blame."
Key Behaviors:
- When a plan fails, ask "What can I do differently next time?"
- Model ownership to build credibility and set cultural tone
- Take responsibility for team outcomes, even when factors are outside direct control
- Focus on solutions rather than assigning blame
Reflection Question
What behaviors show a leader is owning outcomes rather than assigning blame?
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Turn the Ship Around!
Leader-Leader Model
"Empower people to take initiative by communicating intent instead of asking permission."
Intent-Based Leadership:
- Instead of: "May I do this?"
- Encourage: "I intend to do this..."
- Replace permission-based control with empowerment
- Give authority and decision-making power at the right level
"Leadership is about creating more leaders, not more followers."
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The Oz Principle
Above the Line Thinking
"See it, own it, solve it, do it"
Above the Line
- Responsibility
- Ownership
- Accountability
- Problem-solving
Below the Line
- Blame
- Excuses
- Denial
- Wait and see
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Session Structure
Introduction
10 minutes
Establish relevance and context
Concept Overview
20 minutes
Introduce three frameworks
Group Discussion
15 minutes
Ownership in action
Case Exercise
25 minutes
"Above the line" decision-making
Organizational Discussion
20 minutes
Real workplace challenges
Application Plan
15 minutes
Personal leadership commitments
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Group Discussion: Ownership in Action
15 minutes
Discussion Prompts:
- What behaviors in leaders demonstrate ownership?
- How do you hold yourself accountable when results fall short?
- Where might empowerment improve accountability in your team?
Facilitator Notes
- Encourage examples from participants' real experiences
- Relate examples to key principles from each framework
- Emphasize that ownership is a behavior, not a position
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Case Exercise: "Above the Line" Decision-Making
25 minutes
Scenario
A project milestone is missed due to poor communication and unclear expectations. The team blames scheduling conflicts and unclear direction from leadership.
Your Task:
Work in small groups to identify how to move from reactive responses to ownership behaviors.
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Case Exercise: Guided Questions
Analysis Questions
- What assumptions led to the missed milestone?
- Where did communication break down?
Solution Questions
- How can the leader demonstrate ownership?
- What does "see it, own it, solve it, do it" look like here?
Expected Outcomes:
- Proactive problem-solving
- Clear communication of intent
- Follow-through on corrective actions
- Supportive accountability without blame
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Ownership in Our Organization
20 minutes
Small Group Activity:
- Identify 1-2 current ownership or accountability challenges in your organization
- Discuss the impact on performance or culture
- Determine which techniques from today could help address them
- Define one first step you could take tomorrow
Capture Framework
- Issue: What is happening?
- Impact: Why does it matter?
- Technique: Which principle could improve ownership?
- Action: What first step could you take tomorrow?
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Leadership Application Plan
15 minutes
Develop your personal commitment to strengthen ownership:
Ownership Behavior
One ownership behavior I will model consistently:
Empowerment Strategy
One empowerment strategy I will apply with my team:
Accountability Structure
One accountability practice I will establish:
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Key Takeaways
Ownership starts at the top
Leaders model the behavior they expect from their teams
Accountability builds trust
When paired with empowerment and support, not blame
Ownership is contagious
Leaders model it, teams adopt it, culture transforms
"When challenges arise, ask:
What can I own? What can I influence? What can I improve right now?"
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Supporting Materials
Available Resources
- Slide deck with key terms and reflective questions
- Handout: "See It, Own It, Solve It, Do It" accountability cycle
- Intent-based leadership communication model
- Reflection prompts for ownership behavior
- Peer observation checklist: "Ownership in Action"
Attribution Note
All references to leadership frameworks are for educational discussion under fair use. Concepts are paraphrased based on publicly available leadership principles.
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Evaluation and Follow-Up
Assessment Methods
- Participant reflection forms
- Peer observation checklist
- 30-day follow-up discussion
Performance Indicators
- Demonstrated personal accountability
- Increased delegation behaviors
- Improved team communication
Follow-Up Recommendations
Schedule a 30-day check-in to review implementation progress and share success stories or challenges with peer learning groups.
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30-Day Implementation Challenge
Put ownership into practice starting tomorrow
Week 1: Model
Demonstrate ownership behavior in one challenging situation. Ask "What can I own here?" before reacting.
Week 2: Empower
Practice intent-based communication. Have team members say "I intend to..." instead of asking permission.
Week 3: Accountability
Implement one accountability structure (check-ins, visual tracker, after-action review).
Week 4: Reflect
Measure impact. What changed? What improved? What will you continue?
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Thank You
"Every result in your team traces back to how clearly you model ownership."
Questions & Discussion
Momentum Dynamic Performance
Professional Leadership Training
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