Is there something like too much of ownership and responsibility?


A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to facilitate a session on one of my favourite topics - Ownership, Responsibility and Accountability.

I have the Responsibility talent theme at No.5 position in my CliftonStrengths assessment and all my life I have grown up collecting stories of courage under fire, ownership and responsibility from different fields and sectors.

Some of those names are people like Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Yitzhak Rabin (all three of whom were assassinated), Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Mother Teresa, Baba Amte, Dr. BR Ambedkar, Acharya Vinoba Bhave, 2nd Lt. RR Rane, PVC, Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, Admiral Ronnie Pereira of the Indian Navy and many more.

I have also personally known some amazing people with a very high sense of responsibility though what they take responsibility for, varies from person to person. Some take responsibility for the others in their lives; some for their jobs and roles given to them; some for the environment; some for the people under their command/ management and some for self.

They hold themselves to a higher account and standard.

The world has gotten better because of such people.

In fact, for me, the following words were always an anchor, irrespective of wherever or whenever I heard them - "I am taking the responsibility." They would fill me up with a certain emotional surcharge and energy.

The April 2017 Malayalam movie Take Off based on a true incident is a good example of the power of taking responsibility.

Responsibility is also the core value of my firm from where the rest of the values flow out with their respective beliefs and behavioural guidelines.

And yet could there be a dark side with some unintended consequences of taking too much ownership and responsibility?

What might be some of those examples? Or, how all might it manifest?

What might be some of their consequences?

Who all might face those consequences?

What's the remedy?

What's the way forward?

Looking forward to your enriching contribution and questions.

I will reveal my take on it towards the end or in person.

(Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_(mythology))


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