A significant challenge for executive leaders is a team who does not take ownership of the success of the team. Therefore, as an executive leader, it is your job to manage your team in a way that encourages autonomy, trust, and ownership in the team’s mission. Thus, you create a team that people want to be on and work hard to achieve its goals.
- Be Transparent
In order for a team member to feel ownership, the leader needs to share the mission of the team explicitly. As the leader, you need to reiterate this often and explain how a task helps achieve the purpose. Team members need to know why a task is necessary and why you chose specific team members to complete specific work of the task.
- Give Team Members Choice
They are part of your team because they have valuable ideas, experience, and insight. Use their expertise to help make important decisions. Showing that you want their input makes them feel valued. When people feel valued, they become more invested in their work. Give team members opportunities to make decisions, set goals, and plan how the team accomplishes their desired outcome.
- Give Team Members Authority
Give team members opportunities to practice their leadership skills by appointing members to lead a particular task. Encourage them to solve their own problems. People learn best by doing; therefore, as the leader of the team, you invest in your employees by giving them the opportunities to shine. Team members who have autonomy are more accountable for their work and more receptive to feedback.
- Encourage Reflection
Good leaders give team members constructive feedback about their performance. However, great leaders encourage team members to reflect on their own performance. Drawing conclusions on their own about what they did well and what can be improved, gives team members ownership and motivates them to grow.
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