Doing it or owning it

After graduating college, I was given the first crack to join this company. This business conglomerate’s scholarship program provided me with my college tuition. At the same time, I had an opportunity to work for a relatively smaller company with lower pay but a higher position. Now I was in a quandary, so I did a little research. There were no websites then, and the internet did not exist, so I had to do a lot of physical work and interview people working with the company. My findings indicated that this conglomerate provides good perks, and a steady pay. Still, those on the top of the food chain mainly graduated from Ivy League schools (abroad) or were former cabinet secretaries or high-ranking government officials.

Washing my hands in the men’s room, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, “Francis, if you join this huge company, you will be a small fish in a big pond.” If I decided to work for the relatively smaller company, even with lower pay and fewer perks, I would be a big fish in a smaller pond.” And the next question I asked was about the critical factor for my decision. “What if I am a big fish in a small pond, work like crazy, and help enlarge the pond?” And that was what happened. Today that huge company has grown massively and evolved into an even bigger company, and they are a client of mine. And so I took it upon myself to work in this company and quietly pretended that I owned the pond and was going to enlarge it. There was no term for this attitude towards work except the worn-out cliche: “Loving my work and striving for excellence.” Today we do have a word. And this is called “developing an entrepreneurial mindset.” Looking back, it makes all the difference.

I did not consider myself to have a job. A job is merely a collection of tasks I had to do, and I would be paid and rewarded for “doing” my work. I reframed my mind into thinking I was not just “doing it” but “owning it.” This kind of thinking may be subtle, and it is powerful. This “ownership” mentality has been cultivated as a default mindset even as I own businesses today.

As the major decision-maker for my companies, I can do many things, but I can only do some things. I need a team of able people to do the tasks for me. I need more intelligent, confident, capable people who also “own” their tasks and make things happen. Even as I delegate tasks, I see the power and the difference in having my team “do” a task versus “own” a task.

Doing a task could be a one-off activity. I would provide instructions, guidance, and feedback throughout the process, but that’s all there is. It is an assignment. It is a one-time activity. And then it’s done. Owning a task is different, this usually concerns activities that are ongoing and recurring. In this instance, I ensure that each team member knows their responsibilities, is familiar with the operating procedures, and is moving forward.

My job as the leader is to do something other than handhold or micro-manage them. In fact, as a leader, I should not be too involved with the details of their activities. My primary role as a leader is to cheer, encourage, motivate, and provide the support they need. In doing so, I offer a safe laboratory for the team to exercise creative freedom in doing the work that makes them think they are not just “doing” their tasks but are “owning” the tasks given to them. The difference between doing and owning may be subtle, but it leads to vast results in excellence and creativity.

Going back to my experience as a big fish in a small pond, I “owned” my tasks. I exercised initiative, took charge, made things happen, and all of these “owning” businesses led me to be an entrepreneur today as I literally “own” enterprises. I would love for my team to sharpen “owning” with the hope that they would partner with me and co-own businesses. Now that would be a wonderful and fulfilling experience.