Author: Ian Lowe UWE Bristol
This week’s blog, from Senior Lecturer Ian Lowe, focuses on the idea of extreme ownership and how the concept may apply to policing. Along with his varied background within public services, and interest in coaching and leadership, Ian’s exploration originally stemmed from reading. His blog explores how, in a sector where ‘blame culture’ resonates, this theory might evoke reflection from those within on their decision-making and responsibilities.
The theory of extreme ownership
Have you ever asked/told someone to do something, and they have not done what you asked. Did you ask yourself why? Or did you just assume they didn’t get it. The idea of extreme ownership is the idea that if someone did not understand you. It is down to you and your inability to describe what is needed in a way they understand. Simply put, you did not explain yourself clearly or in a way that the individual could understand.
I have long believed that, where I set a task in a group setting and only one group doesn’t carry out the task, then they were probably not listening. If two groups are not following instructions, I have to start questioning what I said. If three groups are struggling, it is clearly my fault. My communication was not good enough or clear enough and I need to rethink and adjust my style and my explanation. Maybe even restart the task.
It’s not my fault.
We hear this so often, people refusing to take responsibility for their actions and the actions of others that they have leadership responsibility for.
Extreme ownership.
This is an idea I have taken from Americas Navy Seals, a special forces unit and part of the US Navy. I have run with it a bit. But these ideas where originally tested in violent conflict situations in Iraq and have stood up to high levels of scrutiny and extreme pressure. This is where the term extreme comes from. You could easily argue that it could be utmost; maximum; high; ownership. It embodies the idea that this is not always the norm, and we are holding ourselves to an extremely high standard.
Extreme ownership is a leadership concept, which tells us to take responsibility for our own actions, and the action of others who we have had direct contact or influence over this includes being accountable for the actions that we have taken or the words we have spoken or written to others. We often read that we live in a blame culture. In my mind what this means is people are not accountable or refuse to take ownership for their words and actions. If a team, we have briefed to carry out an action (say execute an arrest warrant for instance) and something goes wrong. Is it the teams fault, or is it your fault for not ensuring the team fully understood the brief and you had included all the necessary contingencies and overall intents of the mission. I accept there can be dichotomies in a situation like this. It is important that the team understands clearly the tasks intents and has a level of autonomy to carry out what is required. But also fully understands the limit of what they are able to do.
Mistakes were made. But not by me.
One of the most obvious examples in modern culture is politicians who never seem to take true ownership always finding an ‘angle’ a way of blaming something or someone else. As a colleague of mine from PSD used to say, ‘they give the Priti Patel apology, I’m sorry you feel that way.’ This does work and can placate the situation. But does it show that you have taken ownership, taken responsibility, that you are genuinely sorry for the mistake and the resulting problems. Or when looked at closer are you just saying that you accept the individual is not happy, but that is not your problem?
As responsible professionals should we not be prepared to take ownership for our actions. I would potentially argue more so in the current media climate. Demonstrating clear honesty and integrity. I am pretty sure the Code of Ethics from the College of Policing explicitly states this.
If you are late. Is it the traffic or did you just not allow enough time.
Is the student officer you are working with really struggling or have I just not made the effort to understand and engage in a way that supports and enables them.
Was the drive to work today full of idiots. Or is the common factor me and my driving was not as good as it could have been.
We need to take extreme ownership and understand just how much of what we are involved in is OUR responsibility. How we do things, the clarity of our communications. I am not asking you to take the blame for everything. But to understand that by changing our perspective on events we can start to realize how much influence we have on the people and interactions around us. We can stop the continual self-justification of events that we can find ourselves in. The search to find a scapegoat or an excuse to validate or support our decision, so that we can accept them or so we can make others accept them (remember what sounds like a reason to you is often seen as an excuse by others).
Once you take this idea and absorb it fully it is freeing. Your perspective changes and you accept if the CPS turns down your case file, it is because you did not include enough clear and detailed information to reach the charging threshold. Extreme ownership also helps you to think ahead to prevent such problems before they happen. We start to realize and understand our own cognitive dissonance. That we know what we did was not quite right, but we are going to try and believe we did right anyway. Holding these two opposing ideas is exhausting, and the self-justification required is hard work. The smoker who knows smoking is bad for them but justifies vaping as a type of quitting. ‘Cuz it’s not as bad?’
None of these ideas are new, as said above they are part of the Code of Ethics and should be at the centre of all the decisions made.
- Accountability: You are answerable for your decisions, actions and omissions.
- Integrity: You always do the right thing.
- Objectivity: You make choices on evidence and your best professional judgement.
- Openness: You are open and transparent in your actions and decisions.
Extreme ownership is also included in many forces’ visions and values. West Mercia Police actually has ownership as one of its values. Surely part of Avon and Somerset Police’s mission of Outstanding policing for everyone. Owning our actions and their results is included within that even if not stated.
Finally. If we know we have done all we can to help; support; explain to others what is required and tried every avenue. When the point comes that no more can be done, then we can be satisfied we have done the right thing.
As leaders, true leaders, we can share in the success of our teams but understand We take responsibility for the failures.
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Editorial Team
Paul Williamson (Editor-in-Chief); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Smietanko (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).
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