How to Build a Culture of Ownership

“If everyone owns it, no one does.” Everyone loves a good plan. Everyone wants alignment. Everyone values culture. But when things break, when results fall short, when pressure inevitably grows, the question is always the same: Who owns the outcome? (The answer can't be "everyone!") The future belongs to leaders and teams who step into that question with clarity and courage. Not with blame. Not with excuses. With ownership. Ownership is not about being perfect. It is about being responsible. For the result. For the learnings. For the improvements needed to get to the outcomes even after an initial failure. Too many companies prioritize collaboration, but without the parallel focus on accountability. We blur decision rights. We soften responsibility. We mistake involvement for ownership. But the future rewards those who own the result. Individually. Collectively. Consistently. Here are three ways to build a culture that owns outcomes: 🔹 Declare an owner. If everyone is responsible, no one is. Be explicit about who drives what outcomes from start to finish, and where dependencies (and required ownership) exist to make those outcomes achievable. 🔹 Make success visible. Highlight the people who take responsibility and drive results, even when it is complicated, imperfect, or messy. 🔹 Normalize the mess and the miss. Accountability is not about punishment. It's about learning quickly, adjusting as needed, and continuing to move forward. Own the outcome, even when it falls short. The future will belong to those who not only move fast and think big, but also those who take ownership at every step. Belief. Alignment. Speed. Accountability. That is how we create the future.

When CFOs or firm partners tell me their teams need to “own more,” I usually ask, “Own what?” If people don’t know what ownership looks like in daily decisions and communication, they can’t deliver it. When ownership is vague, you get stalled initiative and repeat problems. There are three parts to building ownership on your team. I’ve used this framework with finance and accounting teams when ownership seemed unclear or uneven. First is a clear, shared vision and purpose. • What are the company and team goals this quarter or year? • How does this team’s work move those goals forward? • What skills will we need to develop to get there? • Where are we seeing progress, or signs we need to adjust? A vague vision is a missed chance to build motivation. Low motivation, low ownership. Second is clarity on expected behaviors. • Raise problems AND offer at least one option. • Meet deadlines or flag delays early with a plan. • Close loops so decisions and next steps are clear. • Build relationships carefully. No one succeeds alone. Third is leadership accountability. • Model the behaviors you expect. • Give frequent, candid, kind feedback on how well the team demonstrates them. When people understand the vision, their role in it, and the behaviors that define success, ownership follows.

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗿 - 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. In operations I keep seeing the same pattern: • People know 𝗛𝗢𝗪 to work. • People know 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 to do. • But many don’t know they must 𝗢𝗪𝗡 the problem. When ownership is missing, blame appears: “This isn’t mine.” • “Someone should fix it.” • “Give us a process.” • “We’ll revisit.” • “It depends…” These phrases keep the organization on the 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴 of accountability. A strong strategy fails with a weak culture. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀: “What can I do today?” • “What’s next?” • “What does the standard say?” It’s not about blame. It’s about 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽? 1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 • Begin meetings with: “𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁?” • 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 rescuing people. Ask: “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲?” • Define clarity: what, who, by when, how we track progress. • Use standards as the reference point. • Use quick follow-ups (24–72h) to build accountability habits. 2️⃣ 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 (HPO) A) 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 • 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 ownership. • Expectations as 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 behaviors. • One role → one owner. B) 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 • Weekly KPIs, problem solving. • Daily visibility of priorities. • Leaders ask 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, not give answers. C) 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 • PDCA, problem solving, decision training. • 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 experiments build courage. • Coaching over rescuing. D) 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Reward behaviors, not only outcomes. • Recognize ownership publicly. • Zero tolerance for “hot potato” culture. E) 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 • Clear map of who decides what. • More empowerment, less approval. • Escalate based on 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀. F) 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 • Leaders model: “𝗜 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝘁.” • Evaluate leaders on team accountability. • 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 ownership instead of taking it away. 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 isn’t built by motivation sessions. It’s built by a 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 that reinforces the right behaviors. Question for you: 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 - as a leader? #Leadership #OperationalExcellence #Ownership #Culture #LeanLeadership #HighPerformance

Your culture isn’t in your values deck. It’s in how your people feel at 8PM on Sunday night. Dread? Or purpose? If it’s dread, start here How To Build a Culture People Don’t Dread Returning To: 1. Show people they matter → Ask about what’s going on in their life → Remember the little things that are big to them → Acknowledge their efforts and say thank you often 2. Create emotional safety → Start meetings with open check-ins → Encourage dissent without consequences → Reward truth-telling, even when it’s uncomfortable 3. Make trust your default → Listen to understand, not just to respond → Stand by your team when things get tough → Give ownership, don’t hover over every decision 4. Help people grow on purpose → Learn what they want for their future → Offer growth conversations beyond annual reviews → Pair them with mentors and give room to try, fail, learn 5. Respect life beyond the job → Encourage real breaks, not just permission for them → Honour time off, no guilt, no side comments → Protect evenings, weekends, and personal space 6. Model what you preach → Be honest about your own stress, mistakes, and boundaries → Show it’s okay to be human at work → Walk the floor. Don’t lead from behind closed doors Because culture isn’t built in the boardroom. It’s built in every daily interaction.

If there is one cultural value every CEO wants to cultivate, it is perhaps ownership. Wouldn’t it be great if employees proactively treated the company like their own, and held themselves accountable for results? Netflix, NVIDIA, SpaceX, Goldman Sachs, Uber, Ritz-Carlton, Tesla, and some divisions of Amazon are all examples of companies that significantly outperform their industries on ownership, according to what tens of thousands of their employees recently said on Glassdoor. It is no wonder leaders want to cultivate this trait. But you can’t have the cream without buying the cow. If you want employees to proactively take ownership for results, you need to trust them. At least this is what the strongest ownership cultures tend to do. This chart shows how about 1500 of the largest employers in America recently spoke about ownership and trust in Glassdoor comments, compared to their industries. By the standards of this kind of analysis, the two topics are strongly correlated. This is a real dynamic, and it is also a tension that I see play out in companies regularly. The CEO wants ownership, like all CEOs would. However, when s/he realizes that to accomplish this you need to trust employees and give them autonomy (empowerment is also quite strongly correlated with trust), they hesitate. That is not the culture they feel comfortable with… In our Culture Champions conversation with Katie Burke, recent CPO of HubSpot-- a company that scores high above its industry average on both ownership and trust-- she shared that a big part of the puzzle is selecting talent that you can trust to prosper autonomously, and that actively enjoys being in such an environment. In HubSpot’s legendary Culture Code, there is an all-capitalized section that goes “AUTONOMY REQUIRES TRUST”. Wise words. I would encourage anyone interested in building a strong culture of ownership to read HubSpot’s culture code and to listen our talk with Katie. Katie Youtube: https://lnkd.in/ezTkKn-c Katie Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/ehaTiuDr Katie Spotify Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eGcJB_qJ Katie MIT SMR Writeup:  https://lnkd.in/eW7994cY HubSpot culture code: https://lnkd.in/emHSmhzG (About the chart: R = 0.44 [sounds moderate, but this R2 is more than 2 standard deviations above average for this kind of analysis], P-Value < 0.0001, Color coding by industry)

When Everyone Thinks Beyond Their Title, Companies Thrive There’s a powerful truth about high‑performing organizations: “The best employees act like owners. The best owners act like employees. When everyone thinks beyond their title, a company thrives.” This mindset is more than a clever phrase—it’s a blueprint for building cultures where accountability, humility, and collaboration fuel real results. 🔑 Employees Who Think Like Owners When employees adopt an ownership mindset, everything changes. They don’t just complete tasks—they care about outcomes. Employees who think like owners: • Look for solutions instead of waiting for direction • Treat resources responsibly • Anticipate needs and act proactively • Take pride in the organization’s mission and reputation • Make decisions with long‑term impact in mind This level of engagement creates momentum. It builds trust. It elevates performance across the board. 🤝 Owners Who Think Like Employees On the other side, the most effective leaders and owners stay connected to the day‑to‑day realities of the people they lead. Owners who think like employees: • Stay humble and approachable • Understand the challenges teams face • Roll up their sleeves when needed • Value frontline insights • Lead with empathy, not ego This creates a culture where people feel seen, supported, and respected—conditions that drive loyalty and innovation. 🌟 The Magic Happens in the Middle When both sides adopt each other’s strengths, something remarkable happens: • Silos disappear • Collaboration increases • Communication becomes more honest • People feel empowered to contribute beyond their job description • The organization becomes more agile, resilient, and aligned Titles matter for structure, but they should never limit contribution. The healthiest companies are built on shared responsibility, shared respect, and shared purpose. 🚀 A Culture That Thrives A thriving organization isn’t defined by hierarchy—it’s defined by mindset. When employees step up like owners and owners stay grounded like employees, you create a workplace where: • People take initiative • Leaders stay connected • Teams feel valued • Innovation becomes natural • Success is shared That’s the kind of culture people want to be part of—and the kind that stands the test of time.

The concept of culture in business is often mis-understood, mis-used, and/or mis-appropriated. It isn’t a moment in time, a poster in the lunchroom, or rolling out a keg on Friday afternoons. Culture isn’t a nice-to-have or superfluous in any way. I started talking about Carter’s culture literally the moment I arrived, as I addressed my leadership team for the first time, because it’s that important to me and my perception of how high-performing teams are built. Put simply, I’ve learned that culture is not complex, but it is a muscle that requires focus and daily use so as not to atrophy. It can be nothing more than how we show up every day, to one another, even in the most mundane of daily activities: a text message, a weekly update meeting, a ride in the elevator. Or it can be embedded in true acts of heroism, going above and beyond even when no one is watching. Informed by a company’s purpose and values (also not nice-to-haves), culture can be hard to build and is easy to destroy. Here are a few of the essential business culture building blocks I am employing at Carter’s: - Give your culture a descriptor to help move it from the theoretical to the practical. I am describing our culture as “performance-driven” because we are in a transformation, striving to return to growth, and everyone in the organization must step up for us to be successful. - Root your culture in foundational pillars to provide structure. At Carter’s, those pillars are ownership and accountability, in which we give each team member the agency necessary to make a difference. - The phrase “stay in your lane” gives me serious agita. It also generates silos and inhibits creative thinking. Instead, I have been proselytizing that “good ideas can come from anywhere,” so that, for example, the legal team feels empowered to share thinking on marketing and so on. Such openness allows company culture to flourish. - Culture is driven from a clear set of expectations around how people show up and are expected to perform. “Every person for themselves” versus “there is no I in team,” for example. My belief at Carter’s is that doing one’s job means not only showing up every day with your best thinking but having a willingness to share that thinking, even if it goes against consensus. - I’ve found that title and tenure need to take a back seat to healthy conflict in a setting of psychological safety for a strong culture to flourish. Read The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson. Again, if I’m in a meeting and have something additive to share but I keep my mouth shut to be “polite” because the person speaking is a VP and I’m just a director, or I’m only two years into my role but the person speaking is a decade in, I’m not doing my job to elevate the culture. Simon Sinek defines culture as “values + behavior” and, as usual, he is correct. At the end of the day. culture is a verb, not a noun (Sinek, again). Always on. No finish line.

Culture isn’t built by accident. It’s the byproduct of actions that align with values, day in and day out. You can write values on the wall, put them in slide decks, and talk about them at company meetings—but if the daily behaviors don’t reflect them, it’s just noise. At EPM, we talk a lot about our core values. We live by them. But culture isn’t just about knowing the values—it’s about embodying them. And the truth is, culture doesn’t fall apart overnight. It drifts—slowly—when actions stop matching values. That’s why I believe the ownership of culture always falls on the most aware person in the room. And in my world, that person has to be me. As CEO, I’ve learned that the buck stops with me. Whether it’s a leadership decision, a moment of misalignment, or a hard truth that needs to be addressed—I can’t afford to look away. I have to stay tuned in, not just to what’s being said, but to what’s being done. When I see things that don’t align with who we say we are, I know I have a choice: let it slide, or lead with intention. And when you let things slide, you’re not just avoiding conflict—you’re signaling that values are optional. If you want to build a culture that lasts, it starts with awareness. It starts with leadership that doesn’t just talk values, but lives them—especially when it’s inconvenient. So yes, culture is a reflection of everyone’s actions. But when something goes wrong, I don’t look around the room—I look in the mirror. Because leadership is ownership, and culture is the legacy we leave behind. #Leadership #CultureMatters #CoreValues #Ownership #LeadWithIntent #EPM

Your Employees Don't Need to Know the Financials? And This is Why We Have a Talent Gap Right NOW. Too many leaders believe financials are “executive-only” information. Yet, remind on-site teams regularly that they are operating a multimillion-dollar investment. Then, keep them in the dark with only "need-to-know" metrics and information. But when employees understand the numbers, they make decisions that drive results. ▪️Does your maintenance tech know a delayed repair can cost thousands in damage? ▪️Does your leasing agent see how cutting vacancy by days adds thousands in revenue? ▪️Does your property manager realize a 1% occupancy results in a gain or loss of tens of thousands in NOI and hundreds of thousands in value? Sharing the numbers is a start. Showing them the math and explaining how they contribute to it...Much better. 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐕𝐏𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐌𝐬: You don't need to rely on anyone else to do this...You can do this on your next call or during your next meeting. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: Share 𝘰𝘯𝘦 key metric and the revenue or expense tied to their daily work, such as vacancy loss. 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐲: Show how their actions impact that metric & the bottom line. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: Create team targets (e.g., reduce turn time). 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: Strategize together and show wins. 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞: Reward success to reinforce the connection. 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞: Gradually introduce new metrics as they get it and improve it. 👉Building a Culture of Ownership is everyone's responsibility. Are you doing your part?

If you’re the leader your team relies on for everything, you don’t have a strong team. You have a dependent one. And most leaders don’t build it on purpose. It happens slowly. A problem comes up → you jump in. It’s faster → you fix it. The team sees that → they come back next time. And before long… You’re the answer to everything. The problem? That model doesn’t scale. And it doesn’t develop leaders. If you want a team that can operate without you… you have to make a shift. I call it the 3-Step Shift: Step 1: Stop solving This is the hardest one. Because you can solve it. You’re faster. You’re more experienced. You know the answer. But every time you take it… you take away a learning moment. Support them. Guide them. But stop taking ownership of their problems. Step 2: Start coaching thinking Instead of giving answers… build their judgment. Ask: “What do you think the issue is?” “What options do we have?” “What would you do if I wasn’t here?” That pause is where development happens. Not when you talk. When they think. Step 3: Reinforce ownership If you want different behavior… you have to recognize it. Celebrate initiative. Reward problem-solving. Call out ownership when you see it. And most importantly… be consistent. Because your team will follow what you reinforce. Here’s the truth most leaders miss: Self-sufficiency isn’t built through motivation. It’s built through leadership behavior. And it happens one decision at a time.