Leadership and Ownership

What leadership can learn from product ownership

I’ve written a lot about design and teams. But more and more, my focus has shifted to something deeper — leadership. Not just the kind that comes with a title. But the kind that shows up in how we work. How we take responsibility. How we show up for each other.

And one of the roles that taught me a lot about leadership wasn’t called “Leader.”

It was called Product Owner.

Ownership Is More Than Responsibility

The thing I always loved about the title Product Owner is that it names something many roles overlook:

Ownership.

Not just responsibility.

Not just tasks or tickets.

But actual accountability for outcomes.

Ownership is not just about getting things done — it’s about caring deeply about what gets done, and how it serves the people it’s meant to serve.

And here’s the key:

Over the years, I’ve come to believe something simple but powerful: The real task of a Product Owner is to make everyone feel like one.

The Leader as Ownership Architect

A great Product Owner doesn’t hoard decision-making. They invite others in.

They don’t just own the backlog — they create the conditions for the team to own the product together.

That, to me, is what great leadership looks like.

It’s not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about creating a room where everyone brings their full intelligence — and knows it’s welcome.

The Product Owner becomes a kind of ownership architect. They cultivate a shared mindset: This is ours. We’re building something that matters. We’re accountable to it — and to each other.

That’s leadership.

A New Kind of Leadership

What if we led more like product owners?

What if we stopped thinking of leadership as directing — and started thinking of it as enabling ownership?

What if:

• Everyone on the team felt accountable for the outcome, not just their part?

• Leaders stepped back when the team thrives — but step forward when support is needed?

• Success belonged to the team, and failure belonged to the leader?

That’s not about ego. It’s about service. It’s about presence, trust, and deep care. It’s a new kind of leadership — one that builds not just products, but people. It’s the kind of leadership that invites people to step up — because they feel safe, seen, and supported.

The best products don’t come from individuals — they come from teams that own what they build. Not because they have to. But because they want to.

Cultivate Ownerhsip

Ownership isn’t a job title.

It’s a culture. In the end, ownership is not something you assign. It’s something you cultivate. And when it’s present, you don’t need to push people. You just need to get out of their way.

And it starts with leadership that invites everyone to own what they build. Because when people feel real ownership, they don’t need to be pushed.

They push themselves.

They push each other.

And together — they build something none of them could have built alone.