Why We Teach All Employees to Lead, no Matter Their Role

When we transitioned to employee ownership at BL Companies nearly two decades ago, I didn’t fully grasp how fundamentally it would change our organization. I knew it would be a financial shift. Adopting an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) meant that equity would flow from the select few to all employee-owners.

What I didn’t expect was how drastically our culture would transform in the years that followed. This change wasn’t due entirely to the new structure, as senior managers still had a role to play in guiding the company. But shared ownership created an opening for us to redefine how we make decisions, how we communicate, how we grow, and, ultimately, how we lead.

“We” is the key word. In our employee-owner culture, leadership isn’t about hierarchy. It’s not reserved for people with titles or offices. Instead, it’s a set of behaviors, decisions, and actions that any employee, regardless of role, can choose to demonstrate.

That mindset has strengthened our culture, it has improved business, and it’s made me a better leader.

Featured Video

How CoreWeave Bought and Borrowed Its Way to AI Domination

Turn ownership into action

None of this happens automatically. Having the opportunity to lead isn’t the same as being prepared to lead. We knew that ownership could inspire initiative, but initiative alone wouldn’t build the leadership culture we envisioned. So, soon after our ESOP was established, we introduced a company-wide leadership development initiative called the Foundations Program.

Unlike other leadership programs, Foundations isn’t about training the next generation of executives. Instead, it is about giving everyone, at every level of the firm, the tools to lead in their projects, their teams, their committees, and their own careers. All of our employee-owners have completed it, with new employees finishing within their first year at BL.

The first thing we teach is that leadership is not a title. It’s a way of behaving. When people understand that, they stop waiting to be tapped on the shoulder. They step up to run a project meeting, to mentor a colleague, to improve a process, or to voice a concern. And that ripple effect can be powerful.

When leadership is understood as a shared responsibility, it leads to greater engagement, stronger collaboration, and a deeper sense of care. It doesn’t require a top-down directive—just a daily commitment from employee-owners to support one another and shape the company’s future together.

Build a common language of leadership

One of the biggest challenges in any organization is communication, especially with feedback. Many people hesitate to speak up for fear of offending someone or damaging a relationship. But in an employee-owned company where everyone is expected to lead, staying silent isn’t an option. That’s why we train every employee-owner in tools that help them communicate clearly, confidently, and with care.

A cornerstone of that training is emotional intelligence. We teach that leadership starts with self-awareness: Manage your own emotions while being mindful of others’. That could mean pausing before reacting, noticing when someone is struggling, or knowing how to adjust your tone based on the situation.

We also teach a shared language for feedback. At BL, we say “I have a gift for you” when we’re about to offer feedback. It may seem simple—silly, even—but that phrase changes everything. It signals respect, invites listening, and creates space for honest, constructive conversation. Feedback becomes less about correction and more about growth.

Over time, this practice has become a critical part of our culture. I’ve had employees give me feedback using that very phrase, sometimes pointing out something I missed, or a moment when I could have handled a conversation differently. It’s not always easy to hear, but it’s always meaningful. Because when feedback flows freely, in every direction, it helps us all grow stronger together.

Watch others lead

As the person technically in charge, one of my greatest privileges is observing leadership emerge in unexpected places. I’ve seen committee members guide their peers through difficult initiatives with more emotional intelligence than some senior executives I’ve worked with in other organizations. I’ve had junior employees give me feedback—candidly, respectfully—because they trusted that I’d listen. And I did.

Then there was the time a frontline employee—not a manager—volunteered to lead a group training for one of our employee committees. They brought in an outside facilitator to help guide the first session. The next year, they ran the planning themselves. By year three, they no longer needed a facilitator at all.

All of this happened without my input. I’ve learned that I don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room. In fact, I often learn the most by sitting back, paying attention, and asking others what they need to be successful. My role is to model the behaviors I hope to see: inclusion, trust, clarity, and humility.

Why it works

Yes, we train people how to lead. But more importantly, we show them that they already can. We give them the language, the tools, and the trust. And they return the favor by showing up for their clients, their colleagues, and their own potential.

This kind of leadership culture doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. It takes investment. It takes belief. And most of all, it takes a foundation of shared ownership, the kind that invites people to think and act like stewards of something bigger than themselves.

When people truly feel that sense of ownership, they don’t wait to be told what to do. They lead, from wherever they are. And that’s the kind of company I’m proud to be part of.

As seen in Inc. and written by Carolyn Stanworth, CEO of BL Companies.