What’s The Mentality- Employee Or Ownership?

In many workplaces, I have observed two types of people who show up every day—those with an ownership mentality and those with an employee mentality.

Those with the employee mentality always see who is watching them in the hierarchy. They put their own interests ahead of others and are very protective of their turf. They don’t care as much about outcomes as they do about how others see them. As a result, they execute without really taking responsibility for the outcomes.

In contrast, those with the ownership mentality focus on business results no matter who is watching. They don’t worry about hierarchy or structure. They are comfortable breaking through functional silos and getting into the details to figure out how to deliver on business outcomes. Most importantly, they execute by taking responsibility for the outcomes.

People with an employee mindset, there are many. On the other hand, people with an ownership mentality are always a minority and are extremely valuable. Organizations must pay extra attention to taking care of those who show up with an ownership mindset. They are a valuable breed.