In her newest column for the Inc. Leadership Forum, BL Companies CEO Carolyn Stanworth highlights how employee ownership changes the way committees function, and why that matters for leadership at every level of the company. In the essay, “How Employee Ownership Helps Our Committees Work Better,” Carolyn shares how BL’s employee-owners take initiative, build expertise, and make meaningful decisions through voluntary committees focused on wellness, sustainability, professional development, technology, and more. In the article, Carolyn explains how employee-ownership makes committee work at BL different:
These committees aren’t afterthoughts or side projects. They’re one of the main ways we live out the principle of shared leadership. They plan initiatives, recommend policies, and shape the employee experience across our 18 offices. Their work touches much of what we do, from charity support to the integration of new technologies into daily operations.
What makes them different from committees I’ve seen elsewhere is the sense of ownership behind them. In a traditional corporate setting, committees often rely on employees committing time on top of their jobs, sometimes with little say in the final outcomes. At BL Companies, committees are made up of employee-owners who know they’re shaping the company they share in. And their recommendations carry weight.
Over time, this structure addressed more than individual challenges and opportunities. It has built what I think of as a committee mindset across the company. Employees learn to think like owners: to consider long-term impacts, balance trade-offs, and engage in open dialogue beyond their immediate roles. That mindset strengthens our culture. People become more engaged, more communicative, and more willing to step into leadership moments. The result is an organization where leadership is distributed, not concentrated — and where good ideas can surface anywhere.
Read the full article here.