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Leadership vs Ownership
I’ve had conversations with leaders around the world — many of whom seem to be confused about two things:
- You don’t have to own something to lead it.
- You don’t need to lead something to own it.
I’ve seen this many times in small businesses — the person running or operating the business is not necessarily the owner.
The owner might not even lead any of the activities or the directions taken. I’ve seen that in places where business ownership is easy for the natives, residents, or citizens of a country, but not easily accepted by “other” people coming to work there.
You could own it but not lead it. At the same time, you could lead it but not own it.
Consider Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” statement. He didn’t really OWN the civil rights movement, but he led it in a way that allowed others to feel they owned it, and they could lead it themselves.
Understanding the difference between leadership and ownership allows you to expand your horizons and provide a window of opportunity for the people that work with you, for you, and interact with you.
In a global setting these things can become vital as cultures can also play a big role in what you can own versus what you can lead.
