10 Must-Know Business English Phrases for Confident, Responsible Leaders

As a manager, the way you speak makes a big difference. Using the right business English phrases for managers helps you motivate your team, solve problems, and show that you’re a strong and reliable leader.

In this article, you’ll learn 10 useful and common business English phrases for managers. These expressions will help you sound more confident and connect better with your team every day.

What Would You Do in This Situation?

Picture this:

A big project is falling behind at work. Instead of blaming others, one employee steps up, makes a clear plan, and helps the team finish on time. Later, the manager thanks them and says:

What does "take ownership" mean in Business English?

TAKE OWNERSHIP

phrase

to accept full responsibility for something and make sure it gets done properly

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Business English Phrases for Leaders and Managers About Responsibility

How do you use "take ownership" in business English?

More Real-Life Examples

Jason took ownership of the client presentation and made sure all the slides were updated before the meeting.

Samantha decided to take ownership of the budget planning so the team wouldn’t miss any deadlines.

After the system outage, Michael took ownership of the issue and coordinated with IT to get everything back online.

Emily took ownership of the new marketing campaign and drove it from start to finish.

Tom took ownership of the onboarding process to make it smoother for new hires.

When the product launch was delayed, Priya took ownership of the communication with customers.

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Leo took ownership of organizing the annual conference and handled all the vendor contracts himself.

Rachel took ownership of the feedback survey and analyzed the results for the leadership team.

Alex took ownership of updating the training materials so they were ready for the new hires next month.

Natalie took ownership of the partnership negotiations and secured a better deal for the company.

Learn More Business English Phrases for Leaders and Managers About Responsibility

As a leader, how you speak can inspire trust and motivate your team. These 10 business English phrases will help you sound confident, show responsibility, and guide your team more effectively. Let’s take a look at them in real-life examples.

Here are some common Business English phrases that leaders and managers use to talk about responsibility at work.

Please follow the steps below.

Step 1. Read the leadership phrases and definitions. How many do you know?

STEP UP

phrasal verb

to take initiative and act when needed

 We need someone to step up and handle this urgent client issue.

James always steps up when the team needs extra support.

If you want to get promoted, you need to show you can step up under pressure.

BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR something

phrase

to accept responsibility for the results

As a team leader, you are accountable for the final results.

Everyone here is accountable for meeting their deadlines.

Good managers are always accountable for their team's performance.

TAKE THE LEAD ON something

phrase

to be the first to guide or move a project forward

Emma will take the lead on the new marketing campaign.

We need someone to take the lead on this client proposal.

Raj took the lead on negotiations and closed the deal.

COVER FOR someone

phrase

to handle someone else’s tasks when they can’t do it

I can cover for you while you're on vacation.

Thanks for covering for me when I was out sick last week.

He offered to cover for his colleague during the business trip.

FOLLOW THROUGH ON something

phrasal verb

to finish what you promised

We need to make sure everyone follows through on all their promises to clients.

It's important to follow through on what you start.

I trust Viktor because she always follows through on her commitments.

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CALL THE SHOTS

idiom

to be the one making the decisions

In this project, Linda is the one calling the shots.

When you’re the team lead, you get to call the shots.

Who’s calling the shots here?

STEP IN

phrasal verb

to get involved to solve a problem or to help

 John stepped in when the team was struggling to meet the deadline.

Our manager had to step in and resolve the conflict.

Monica stepped in to help with the presentation.

BE HANDS-ON

phrase

to be directly involved and actively manage something

Our boss is very hands-on and likes to be involved in every detail.

She takes a hands-on approach to managing new projects.

They appreciate managers who are hands-on and approachable.

BE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

idiom

to be in control of a situation

After the merger, Elsa was finally in the driver’s seat.

Now that you’re in the driver’s seat, what’s your next move?

Ben wants to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to major decisions.

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BE THE GO-TO PERSON (FOR something)

phrase

to be the person everyone relies on for a certain task or topic

Lisa is the go-to person for anything related to marketing.

Everyone knows that Tom is the go-to person for tech support.

In our office, Mike is the go-to person for solving tough problems.

Step 2. Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

Let’s Chat!

Have you ever had to take ownership of a big project? What did you do?

Now it’s your turn!

Share your story in the comments — we’d love to hear it!

Review what you’ve learned! Click the image to try a 5-Question Quiz based on our latest phrases.

This Week’s Business English Quiz:

Take Ownership, Weather the Storm, Step Up Your Game, Play It By Ear, & Go Through the Roof.