Taking ownership is choosing usefulness over innocence as the only objective.

There is a choice between being blameless and being effective, and they conflict more often than people expect. Optimizing for innocence means avoiding involvement, hedging, and staying out of anything you might be held to. Choosing usefulness means accepting some exposure.

Ask yourself, in a situation you are hanging back from, whether you are protecting your record or contributing. If it is the first, step in slightly. The cost is real and usually smaller than what you gain.