A year ago, I watched a video that stopped me in my tracks—factory workers weeping as they found out they were now part-owners of their company. That moment wasn’t just emotional. It was transformational. And it led me straight to Pete Stavros, Co-Head of Global Private Equity at KKR and founder of Ownership Works. What I learned from our conversation reshaped my thinking about the future of work.
Employee ownership isn’t just a financial model—it’s a cultural one. At its best, it fuels motivation, lowers turnover, and increases performance. But here’s what most leaders miss: ownership only works when empathy is present. Pete is tackling that head-on with “Empathy Gyms”—a bold effort to train CEOs to understand what life is really like for their frontline workers. It’s not about perks or programs. It’s about mindset. Ownership fails when leaders treat it like a checkbox. It succeeds when they embed it into how they lead—transparently, courageously, and with a genuine belief in their people. And that belief changes everything.
Meanwhile, the burnout crisis is reaching a breaking point. In my recent NewsNation appearance, I discussed how 66% of workers feel overwhelmed—and the number’s even higher for those under 35. The root cause? The “action trap.” Our culture has confused busyness with value, mistaking effort for impact. Instead of building resilience, companies pile on pressure. Instead of enabling growth, they mandate visibility. It’s not working.
We need a reset. Ownership, empathy, and adaptability aren’t just ideals. They’re essential. And they’re the only way forward in a world where AI is accelerating change and burnout is draining performance. If we want results, we have to start with belief. Because as Pete and I both agree: culture drives outcomes—and it starts at the top.
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