Leadership is not Ownership: Rethinking Responsibility at Work

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we challenge the increasingly popular mantra of “think like an owner” — and unpack why leadership isn’t the same as ownership.

We explore:

• The difference between showing initiative and being expected to carry disproportionate weight

• Why “ownership mentality” can feel empowering — or exploitative — depending on compensation, boundaries, and context

• Real-world perspectives from employees and managers who’ve questioned this mindset

• Alternative ways to align teams — like transparent compensation, phantom equity, and financial literacy — without blurring the lines between loyalty and free labor

This isn’t about rejecting responsibility. It’s about redefining what leadership really means in modern organizations — especially when actual ownership is off the table.

If you’ve ever been told to "own it" but felt like you were just inheriting someone else’s burnout, this one’s for you.