Teach Your Team to Think Like Owners

Howdy! In today’s newsletter, I want to talk about one of the biggest unlocks for growth that most founders overlook:

You can’t scale yourself—but you can scale your mindset.

One of the most powerful things you can do as a leader is build a team that doesn’t wait for instructions… they act with ownership.

Because the reality is, when people think like owners, you don’t have to micromanage.

You don’t have to chase.

And you don’t have to solve every problem yourself.

Your team will start asking better questions.

Looking around corners.

And caring about outcomes, not just checklists.

Accountability Isn’t a Personality Trait. It’s a Culture.

Too many founders believe accountability is something you’re born with.
But more often, it’s something people rise into… when the culture makes space for it.

Ownership thrives in environments where:

The mission is clear

Wins and losses are shared

People are trusted to lead, not just follow

If your team is constantly asking for permission or waiting on your direction, it’s not a motivation issue, it’s a systems issue.

Give People a Mission, Not Just a Job

Owners don’t need handholding, they need clarity.

What are we building?

Why does it matter?

What does success look like?

When your team understands the “why,” they’ll figure out the “how.”

When they know what’s at stake, they’ll act like it.

How I Teach Ownership in My Teams

Here are a few things I’ve learned that help shift people from passive executors to active owners:

Make outcomes visible
Don’t just report metrics. Show people how their work impacts customers, growth, and the team.

Push decisions downward
Give people the space to make real decisions, and back them when they do.

Ask them what they’d do if it was their money
It’s amazing how quickly priorities sharpen when the mindset shifts from “my task” to “my investment.”

Model what you want to see
If you take ownership, own your mistakes, and speak openly about the mission—your team will follow.

Important Question to Ask Yourself This Week:

What would change if everyone on your team thought like a co-founder?