CEOs and individuals in business leadership roles are frequently confronted with the dichotomy of making decisions to ensure the long-term health of their companies, while maximizing short-term profits. Their management roles compel them to lead the organization as if they are owners, but in reality, these organizations are owned by and at the mercy of investors and customers who determine the value of their products and services. 

In a recent survey conducted by Fortune, 77 percent of CEOs said it would be easier to manage their companies if they were private. This feedback comes in a climate of increasing numbers of activist investors who purchase a significant amount of company stock, then proceed to make recommendations to the board and company leadership on how they should run it to increase value. To be fair, all such suggestions are not bad, and some have led to considerably positive results in the bottom line of these companies. But these CEO owners may find that their company’s mission and purpose are no longer aligned with where others want them to go. 

Customers also have a powerful voice in shaping corporate strategies and decisions. For instance, Pepsi worked hard over several years to reformulate its diet cola to remove aspartame, thereby meeting the needs of people who wanted to move away from artificial sweeteners. However, many other diehard Diet Pepsi drinkers didn’t like the taste with the sucralose replacement, and complained loudly. So Pepsi recently announced that the old aspartame formula would return to the market, and they will sell both versions to meet the needs of all those customers. Oh, and did I mention that their sales volume slumped more than 10 percent during one of the quarters that the aspartame formula was off the market? 

Ultimately, companies are at the mercy of and owned by their financial stakeholders. Whether you purchase shares of stock or a $5 product, you vote with your wallet on their future success. Strategic and principled decisions on the part of the board of directors and leadership team, that don’t benefit the stakeholders tend to become quickly overturned. They may hold critically important positions in the company, but the most important decisions are driven by clients and investors. Because if clients don’t buy-in to what you’re selling, you won’t be selling much for long. And if investors don’t think you’re a good growth prospect, they won’t invest in your future. 

Personal Ownership 

Ownership in corporate employees’ lives mirrors the organizational experience. They pursue and accept positions based on skillsets and the potential for increased compensation. They move up the career ladder based on positive feedback from others in terms of their potential and added value. They take on different assignments at various companies because their leader, the CEO, or a talent development professional said that they need to do it—even if it doesn’t fit their dreams.  

Companies as customers invest in employees, constantly looking for the next high-potential talent. If employees are not honest with themselves and others about their goals and purpose, they may find themselves in positions where they’re no longer calling the shots on their own careers, their development, or their lives. 

This is especially true for those in the spotlight—who are well-known or famous in their community, industry, or environment. Several recent examples in the Detroit-area sports world include Calvin Johnson, a 30-year-old, all-time leading wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, and Pavel Datsyuk, a 38-year-old star of the Red Wings Hockey team. Johnson retired after the 2015 season, walking away from a $16M salary because he was simply tired of the wear and tear on his body. Datsyuk opted to walk away from $5.5M in the middle of his contract to return to Russia and play his remaining few years in his home country. Their team owners, team mates, and fans desperately wanted them to stay; these were people who had emotional and financial investments in their careers. But they each made a difficult decision to do what they knew was best for them personally and their families. They decided to own themselves. 

Who Shapes YOUR Employees’ Decisions? 

So the question for talent development leaders is “What decisions are employees making because of pressure from someone else who has invested time or money in them?” It may be a mentor or sponsor; a spouse or parent; fans, friends, or social media followers; or customers or financial investors in business enterprises. Who has expectations of your employees that aren’t aligned with their expectations of themselves, and their vision for the future?  

What will they lose by following others’ path of least resistance? What will employees gain by following their path of greatest attraction? The goal at a personal level is for employees to own their decisions, their work and their future. As talent development leaders, we must help employees understand their purpose, passions, and interests. Then work with them to craft a development plan that aligns their strengths with the company’s needs.  

This builds engagement, and enhances retention. Instead of making employee decisions driven by short-term financial opportunity alone, we must build a reward structure that encourages them to take the long-term view of how they can add value to others and fulfill their purpose. This means building a talent development process that supports their individual needs and enables them to connect with their values and goals. So help your employees choose carefully. Help them choose wisely. Help them with the right answer to the question: “Who owns YOU?”