Maniacal ownership.
Owners are the new leaders...
I don’t get turned off by things easily.
But every time I see traditional career advice on LinkedIn, I cringe. Stale advice. Shallow tips.
And self-proclaimed “career coaches” who’ve never been in the trenches.
To be realistic, that version of career success doesn’t work anymore.
The old playbook promised a stable job, decent colleagues, a 2–3% raise, and the occasional 7% promotion. Rinse and repeat until 65. Voilà! you’ve “made it.”
That might have worked 50 years ago. But in today’s world? It’s a career death sentence.
I get it, some folks are hard set on doing a 9–5 and drawing their own balance. Fair.
But if you want to grow in 2026, applying 30-year-old rules is a fool’s errand.
I still see professionals, even sharp, younger colleagues, play it safe:
Avoid responsibility.
Stay silent in crunch moments.
Fear speaking truth to power.
If that’s your default mode, I’ve got news for you:
You will not make it in today’s corporate world.
Ownership isn’t optional anymore. It’s the foundation skill. Especially as AGI eats more of what used to be “your job.”
Ownership builds authority. Authority earns recognition. Recognition shapes reputation.
And in corporate life, your reputation is what defines you.
Yet most professionals still try to:
– Stay under the radar
– Always say yes
– Avoid tension
– Sit in roles for 3–5 years hoping for a promotion
– Stay blindly loyal to the company
That’s not a strategy. That’s survival. The real game? Think like a business owner. If you don’t stick your head out, promotions will pass you by. Executives won’t see you as leadership material. And when times get rough, you’ll be first in line for the cut.
But here’s the good part: once you internalize the ownership mentality, you can start acting on it naturally.
How to Build a Maniacal Ownership Mindset
1. Stop thinking like an employee.
Employees wait to be told. Owners act.
See a problem? Don’t ask. Fix it.
2. Build without a title.
Leadership isn’t a title, it’s a posture.
Act like an owner, even if you’re an IC.
3. Know the business inside out.
Understand the product. The customers. The revenue levers.
Speak the language of the business, not just your function.
4. Take radical responsibility.
It’s not about fault — it’s about ownership.
High-performers clean up messes. No excuses. No finger-pointing.
5. Make your impact impossible to ignore.
Document wins. Share progress. Influence upward.
Visibility isn’t ego. It’s career insurance.
6. Ask: “What would I do if I owned this?”
That’s your new mindset.
Every meeting. Every project. Every decision.
You won’t nail this overnight. But you will change the game if you apply these principles — one decision at a time. Because in the new world of work, coasting on credentials or loyalty won’t cut it.
But maniacal ownership?
That’s your edge. It’ll feel uncomfortable at first. Maybe even risky. Good. That means you’re doing it right. You can either play it safe… Or start acting like the role you want already belongs to you. In a world where AI is closing the skill gap fast,
Ownership is the new unfair advantage.
Until next time,
– Raghav