took it upon oneself
Assumed personal responsibility
To take it upon oneself is to assume responsibility for something without being asked or required to do so.
The phrase often implies initiative, sometimes admirable: She took it upon herself to organize the volunteers.
But it can also suggest overstepping: He took it upon himself to speak for the whole group.
The past tense took it upon oneself appears in narrative: They took it upon themselves to fix the problem.
- proactivityTendency to anticipate needs
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- ownershipLegal right of possession
- oversteppingExceeding appropriate bounds
- obligationRequired task or commitment
self-direction · stepping up · self-appointed · independence · stewardship · resourcefulness · ingenuity · rising to the occasion · unsolicited · duty · presumptuousness · empowerment · leadership · self-reliance · assertiveness · decisiveness · justification · conscientiousness
took it upon oneselfpassed the buck
Transferred accountability elsewhere
washed one's hands of · ducked out · avoided · evaded · deflected