The ownership gap.

Jun 19, 2025

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There's a dangerous loop that keeps people stuck in mediocrity.

I call it the ownership gap.

On one side of the gap, you have people who see every problem as theirs to solve. When something goes wrong in their business, they ask: "What could I have done differently?" When a relationship fails, they look at the role they played. When they don't get the results they want, they go inward first.

On the other side, you have people who see problems as everyone else's responsibility. When their business struggles, it's the economy's fault. Or someone else in their space. When they don't get promoted, their boss is playing favorites. When they can't afford something, the system is rigged against them.

The gap between these two groups widens every single day. Here's why:

The first group spends their energy fixing things. The second group spends their energy explaining why things can't be fixed.

When you take ownership, you gain ultimate control. You can choose to improve your skills, adjust your approach, or try something completely different. Every setback becomes a piece of data. Every failure is reframed into a lesson learned.

When you blame others, you give away all of your power. You become a victim of circumstances beyond your control. You wait for someone else to change the rules, fix the system, or hand you an opportunity. That’s dangerous.

The more the ownership-minded people pull ahead, the more the blame-minded people point fingers. They see the growing success gap and think, "See? I told you the game was rigged."

So they blame more. They spend even less time taking action. They fall further behind.

Which makes the gap even wider and creates more evidence that "successful people have all the advantages."

Which leads to more blame, less ownership, and more excuses.

The loop becomes self-reinforcing. The people who refuse to take ownership get trapped in a cycle where their lack of progress becomes proof that someone else is to blame.

Successful people have an almost obsessive sense of ownership. In my experience, they'll even take responsibility for problems that aren't actually their fault.

This doesn't mean they're pushovers or accept abusive behavior. It means they refuse to waste their precious mental energy on blame because blame doesn't move them forward.

The real difference here is a victim vs. owner mindset.

While the victims are building a case for why they can't succeed, the owners are building solutions.

While the victims are explaining why the problem isn't their fault, the owners are figuring out how to solve it.

While the victims are waiting for someone else to change how the game is played, the owners are learning to play it better.

The gap isn't about talent or timing.

It's about who takes ownership and who points fingers.

One approach creates momentum, while the other creates excuses.

Which side of the gap are you on?

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