When they’re part of an organization, most people consider their primary and immediate responsibilities to be the work. For example, a mediocre software engineer will limit themselves to writing the code they are required to write. These people are enrolled, but not committed (remember that Compliance is not commitment).
Leaders, on the other hand, recognize that building the organization is the work: as we abide by our primary responsibilities, we must seek to constantly learn about and improve the organization as a whole, so that we can make our jobs and the jobs of those around us more effective. These people are committed (Compliance is not commitment).
A leader software engineer will build tools, systems and documentation to improve everyone’s lives, and will promote those aggressively within the organization. This is an example of “building the organization.”
Building the organization requires stepping away from the day-to-day and thinking at a more strategic level.