NOTE: This message was emailed to Ballad Health team members on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Dear Colleague,
Our new B Excellent program, The Impact of You: How We Show Up Shapes What We Build Together, is centered on a simple idea: Each of us influences the experience we create through the choices we make, the way we respond and how we work with others.
Throughout October, we’re exploring B Invested, a skill focused on personal ownership and recognizing the role we play in moving our work and our teams forward.
This week, we’ll build on that foundation by looking at what it means to take ownership, especially when the path ahead is not immediately clear.
This Week’s Tip
Leading Self Tip #7: Taking Ownership
One of the most important parts of leading ourselves is taking responsibility for our actions and recognizing that we do not have to wait for someone else to solve every problem. Taking ownership means looking at the circumstances around us, focusing on what we can control and choosing a response that helps create progress.
That begins with our mindset. Accountable team members resist the urge to blame circumstances or other people when something becomes difficult. Instead, they help their team members recognize that there is still an opportunity to do good work. They approach challenges with the belief that no one is coming to help, and we don’t have to wait to make meaningful progress.
Taking ownership does not mean having every answer or trying to do everything alone. It means being willing to pioneer solutions. We can build confidence by remembering successful changes our teams have made in the past, inviting teammates to identify their best ideas and then turning those ideas into action. This approach creates greater ownership because people have a voice in how the team responds and moves forward.
Call to Action:
Choose one accountable action you can put into practice today. Focus on what you can control, shift a conversation from blame to solutions, take the first step toward progress or ask your teammates to share their best ideas for addressing a current challenge.
As you move through this week, remember that taking ownership often begins with one decision: the decision to act. You may not control every circumstance, but you can control how you respond, what you contribute and whether you help create momentum. Don’t wait for progress. Help pioneer it.
Team Member Perspective
Tiffany Delias, director of digital performance media and consumer engagement, shared this perspective:
Love the mindset ‘Nobody is coming to help.’ This is a great reminder to take ownership and responsibility instead of waiting for someone else to come along and do it.
Tiffany’s insight captures the heart of this week’s tip. The phrase, “nobody is coming to help,” doesn’t mean that help is not out there. It’s more a reminder that when we stop waiting for someone else to take the first step, we shift our attention toward what we can do, the ideas we can contribute and the progress we can make.
That mindset can be powerful when a team feels stuck. Rather than waiting for the perfect circumstances or focusing on what is outside our control, we can ask, “What can we do right now to move this forward?” That question creates space for initiative, creativity, and shared responsibility.
We encourage all team members to continue leaving comments on the Practicing Excellence platform. Your personal stories and examples help turn these lessons into practical ideas that others across Ballad Health can apply every day. By sharing successes, challenges and experiences, we can learn from one another and strengthen our commitment to putting B Excellent principles into practice.
