Moving up the leadership ranks is often accompanied by a shift in mindset that is challenging to execute but essential for success. One of the most significant change I have had to overcome is the transition from needing to own the idea to deliberately making it “theirs”, i.e. your team’s idea. This has been the most challenging one, to me.

For many of us, the journey from individual contributor (IC) to a first-line manager (EM) is characterized by a drive to consistently prove our worth. We focused on demonstrating technical acumen, solving complex problems, and, crucially, owning the solutions. At this stage, having your ideas recognized and credited was vital; it was the currency of promotion, visibility, and professional identity. If others took the credit, it could feel like a setback or an injustice.

The Senior Leadership Shift

As I stepped into Senior EM and Director-level roles, the conventional wisdom of “make it their idea” became a challenging, yet necessary, reality. The change in perspective required for this shift is profound.

The Struggle: When Trust is Fragile

In my previous, long-tenured role, I experienced the difficulty of this transition firsthand, particularly when organizational stability was low.

When there is significant executive churn, a leader’s trusted network can erode. In this environment, giving credit away “making it their idea” can feel like a high-risk gamble. The fear is genuine: without a stable, established management chain that recognizes your indirect contributions, giving away credit felt like achieving zero recognition for myself.

Influence was difficult to build, and trying to drive change through subtle means was often unsupported, sometimes leading to negative professional outcomes. The internal politics felt tilted against the tenured leader attempting to evolve their style. In short, the lack of an implicit trust contract made it feel necessary to protect and own my ideas, hindering the ability to truly empower others.

The Breakthrough: When Trust is Built In

However, my recent move into a new company has offered a striking contrast. Surprisingly, I don’t struggle with “making it their idea” at all now. In fact, I actively want my team and peers to call it their own.

Why the difference?

This approach now feels like a powerful force multiplier. As a new leader joining an organization, the most effective way to establish my influence is not by being the sole source of good ideas, but by being the catalyst for great ideas from others.

1. High-Impact Influence: By subtly guiding the solution and then giving away the spotlight, I am able to drive significant change without being perceived as the “new person telling everyone what to do.”
2. Organic Validation: When the management chain hears positive updates, not directly from me, but from various team members and peers who are excited about “their project,” it offers a far more powerful and organic validation of my leadership style and effectiveness as an influencer.
3. Positive Force Multiplication: Empowering others to own the solution creates energy, accountability, and speed. My value shifts from being the generator of the work to being the accelerator of the work.

The Key Takeaway

The challenge of “making it their idea” is less about your personal ability to be generous and more about the organizational context and the stability of your network.

• In a stable environment with a strong, predictable management chain: Giving credit away is a high-return investment. The organization is built to track and reward influence, not just execution.
• In a volatile environment with high churn: The leader instinctually reverts to protection mode, where owning the credit feels necessary to ensure career survival.

For any leader transitioning to senior roles, the goal must be to build a network and an environment where giving away the credit and celebrating their victory is not a risk, but the very definition of success.

True senior leadership is measured not by the spotlight you capture, but by the light you shine on others.