i was doing what i do best the other day, scrolling instagram, when i came across a striking black and white slide from @houseofbeautifulbusiness that explained the concept of “steward ownership.” while i think the idea needs a bit of a rebrand (it’s not super jazzy, let’s be honest, and doesn’t really roll off the tongue), the idea is amazing, IMHO.
you see, i’m someone who has struggled with the idea of capitalism as it exists today. don’t get me wrong; i love the idea that anyone can make it in this world, and we should ABSOLUTELY continue to have those rights, i keep coming back to the fact that the way our system works today is depleting (people, resources, energy, etc.) instead of cultivating regeneration, emotional energy, and overall enthusiasm. if you’re like me, and just can’t quite figure out what’s wrong but know that our current version of capitalism just isn’t quite right, read on for more to think about:
ok – so what is steward-ownership? i’m thinking of it like capitalism 2.0; a better version of a triple bottom line. i think a triple bottom line is a good start, but steward-ownership is built on the concept that an organization is fundamentally built with two main guiding principles:
- ownership remains within the company (stewarded by it’s employees)
- while for-profit, profits go to serving some sort of purpose. they are a a means to an end, not the end in and of themselves.
doesn’t it sound dreamy? companies that care about the world, with employees who feel empowered to actually guide the company. i’ll be exploring these concepts in more detail in the hopes that i can at least conceptualize, for myself, what this might look like in the context of the future, but i wanted to at least start to share the idea of it.
interesting? impossible? would love to hear your thoughts! comment below if you have any opinions/questions we should continue to explore together. rest assured, i’m interested in exploring how this concept could work, and will be sharing more. thanks for reading!