The meaning of ownership
It is now more than twelve years since I stepped away from my techno-managerial career to pursue passions I had long postponed. It had been a professional journey of three decades, one that taught me many lessons which continue to shape the way I look at the world.
During my early years, I believed that I could accomplish much single-handedly. Fortunately for me, I soon realised the folly of that thinking. No individual is an island of excellence. Leading large teams meant learning that success comes from helping others take responsibility for their work.
Like many of my contemporaries, I often lamented what we saw as the erosion of ownership among younger professionals. Others, however, challenged that assumption. I still remember a senior colleague from my early years in Railways who had risen through the ranks. He would often remark that many of us in leadership had, in fact, contributed to this decline.........
