What does it take to build a company culture where people genuinely feel a sense of ownership, purpose, and connection? That’s the question Carolyn Stanworth, CEO of BL Companies, will be exploring in her new monthly column for Inc. Masters, a platform that features insights from top business leaders across the country. Over the next year, she’ll share the principles behind BL’s distinctive employee-owned culture, grounded in real stories and lessons from her leadership journey. The first installment, “The Weekly Meeting That Anchors Our Employee-Owned Culture,” highlights a simple but powerful ritual that keeps BL’s 380 employee-owners aligned, informed, and engaged. Below is an excerpt from Carolyn’s debut article:
Every Friday at noon half our 380-person company logs on to hear from their colleagues and me. Attendance is not required. There’s no presentation deck and no formal agenda. It’s just 30 minutes to hear what’s going on across the company and beyond.
We don’t track attendance. We don’t require cameras. We don’t make participation competitive. I simply show up and trust that when people feel invested in the company, they’ll show up too.
This meeting isn’t a formality. It’s a foundation. And in a time when volatility is the norm — economically, socially, and organizationally — it has become one of the most powerful tools I have as a leader. And it didn’t come from a strategic initiative or a consultant’s playbook. It came from a need for clarity, consistency, and connection. More importantly, it has become a way to reinforce our core belief: In an employee-owned company, everyone has the ability and the responsibility to lead. Read the full article here.