How to Take Ownership When Your Manager Doesn’t

There’s no shortage of advice about how to take ownership of your work and inspire ownership in your team.

But what if your direct manager doesn’t own the project?

What if the person who should be driving it… isn’t?

That’s when personal ownership matters most.

You can’t control your leader’s behavior, but you can control how you show up.

Here are a few ways to lead upward and protect your project:

Make your work visible.
Never assume your manager knows what you’re doing.
Follow up regularly. Share progress. Provide short updates. Make your impact impossible to miss.

Bring clarity, not complaints.
Don’t say, “We’re stuck.”
Say, “Here’s where we are, here’s the risk, and here’s what I recommend.”

Be the engine.
Ownership isn’t a title. It’s behavior.
If you want your manager to move, give them something solid to move with: data, options, and next steps.

Communicate like a partner, not a passenger.
When you act like an owner, leaders start treating you like one.

Sometimes the real leadership test isn’t managing your team.
It’s managing upward when leadership is missing.

Ownership doesn’t wait for permission.

It creates momentum.