Extreme Ownership in a Pipe Band

In a bagpipe and drum band, Extreme Ownership means taking full responsibility for the performance, the culture, and the success of the group. But it doesn’t mean the Pipe Major tunes every chanter, writes every score, books every gig, and solves every internal squabble. That’s not leadership—that’s burnout in the making.

We’ve all seen it happen: the Pipe Major or Drum Sergeant cares so much about the music and the mission that they try to carry the whole load. They set every tempo, fix every tuning problem, handle every scheduling conflict, and chase every late learner. But here’s the truth—when you do everything, you unintentionally train your bandmates to do nothing.

In music leadership, that means letting section leaders lead their sections, trusting experienced players to help with tuning, and giving newer members the space to try (and fail) without you stepping in too soon. In management leadership, that means empowering others to run rehearsals, take point on event logistics, or mentor rookies.

Your role isn’t to play every part—it’s to ensure every part gets played well. That’s balance.

When leaders fail to delegate, they become the bottleneck. Morale suffers, growth stalls, and the joy of making music together fades.

Extreme Ownership in a band means this: you own the responsibility for the whole performance, but you trust your players to own their piece of it. You lead by giving them room to lead too.

This week, ask yourself:

• Am I fixing mistakes my section leaders could handle?

• Am I trying to “play every event” instead of letting others carry the load?

• Am I giving enough space for others to shine in leadership roles?

Own everything. Empower others. Move the band and the music forward.