Delegating Outcomes Won't Solve Your Problem
Written by Dave Bailey
Written by Dave Bailey, Nov 26, 2025
Is the way you delegate creating owners—or extra work for you? Here’s how to spot someone who’ll own the problems.
A few years ago, a coach copied one of my essays on “delegating problems, not tasks.”
He republished it as “delegating outcomes, not tasks,” keeping the stories the same but changing just one word: problems to outcomes.
The edit stuck with me—because it misses the point.
Outcomes vs. Problems
Generally speaking, outcomes are defined at the start of a project and framed as something positive.
An outcome sounds like: “Increase qualified pipeline by 30% this quarter.”
As an employee, it’s motivating to be given an outcome. It’s a chance to be a hero.
So many leaders want to own outcomes—especially ones they see as easy to achieve.
But along the way, problems inevitably arise, and that’s where attitudes can change.
A problem sounds like: “Our win-rate has dropped from 25% to 15% over the last two quarters.”
And unlike outcomes, few people volunteer to own problems.
Instead, they play the blame game.
Marketing blames product. Sales blames marketing. Product blames sales. And everyone blames tech.
Blaming is the polar opposite of ownership. It’s effectively saying: "the problem isn’t mine, it’s theirs."
So while delegating outcomes is a necessary starting point, real ownership begins when problems start. Unless your team owns the problems that come up along the way, they’ll still end up with you.
The Refusal to Blame Anyone Else
Successful founders refuse to blame anyone but themselves for the problems they face.
They don’t dwell on, “Whose fault is this?”
Instead, they focus on, “What could I have done differently to avoid this problem?”
And ultimately, that’s what every founder wants from their leaders:
- A salesperson who can list out all the problems in sales, and at the same time admit they could have supported marketing more.
- A product manager who can list out all the problems in the product, and at the same time admit they could have helped the tech team more.
- A marketing manager who can list out all the problems in marketing, and at the same time admit they could have helped the sales team more.
What you really want is people who are able to say, “It’s my fault. This is what I’ll do differently.”
The reason this is so rare is most people are afraid that admitting weakness may cost them their job. Ironically, taking personal responsibility actually can make them look strong and ultimately get them promoted.
Founders will always see more problems than anyone else because they have the macro view.
So when they tell a teammate about a problem, if the teammate doesn’t own it, the founder’s to-do list increases.
Every problem still on your plate exists because no one in your company owns it.
What Ownership Looks Like
If ownership is about taking responsibility for problems, not just enjoying outcomes, what does that look like day-to-day?
To be a good owner, you need some sort of system that ensures problems are captured and prioritised, and stakeholders are managed accordingly.
Concretely, owners must:
- Take problems away from the founder
- Look after those problems diligently and find solutions
- Prioritise problems in a way that maximises company growth
- Manage the founder and other stakeholders so everyone trusts the plan
Let’s imagine a typical scenario where a founder finds a problem in a particular area, and lets the leader know.
Compare these two responses:
- Low-ownership: “I don’t agree this is a problem, and even if it was, we aren’t in a position to solve it any time soon.”
- High-ownership: “Thanks for letting me know. I’m already aware of this and there’s a ticket in my backlog to resolve it. I’d planned it for the next sprint . . . any issues I should be aware of?”
In the first example, it’s not clear who the problem owner is. In the second example, it’s 100% clear the leader is owning the problem.
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How to Cultivate an Ownership Culture
If I’ve convinced you that you want an ownership mindset on your team, how do you get it?
First, discuss this idea with your team. Sharing this article and discussing its nuance will build awareness of the idea without needing to call anyone out.
Second, consider creating a ritual that honours problem adoption. Rituals are a company’s habits. For example:
- Celebrate the “owner of the month”
- Include a “problem adoption” section in a team meeting
- Run a bi-weekly problem backlog-grooming ‘power hour’
Third, hire people who exhibit these behaviours. The high-ownership people I know and work with are just wired that way.
They tend to be low-ego, highly organised, and able to build systems to ensure balls don’t get dropped. They’re also hard to find.
If They Don’t Own It, You Will
I’ve not delegated problems effectively at times. In the absence of teammates truly owning a problem, my founder drive kicks in and I can’t stop myself obsessing until I’ve found a solution.
That’s why I focus on building a culture of problem ownership—because without it, I will always end up owning more than I can handle.
As a founder, you’ll always see more problems than anyone else. The question is: who owns those problems?
Because if your team doesn’t step up and own problems, they’ll all belong to you.
Related Reading
- How to Delegate Work So It Actually Gets Done
- How to Hold Your Team Accountable
- How to Use Positivity to Handle Tough Conversations
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Originally published Nov 26, 2025, last updated Jul 19, 2026.
