FAST COMPANY Magazine has a great interactive portion to their website.  It is usually on the right of the home page.

The question posted by the staff right now is this:

How can you empower a company’s employees to think like its owners?

Here is how I responded:

I would never encourage empowering employees to think like the biz owners, because this stifles creative thinking. But, if you are talking about getting everyone in the biz aligned around vision and mission, this starts with the owner being respectful of employees, open to their ideas and highly accessible to them (you can’t get aligned around a company mission and vision if you never see or have access to the owner). It also requires the owners to be true leaders…people the employees want to model.   To be a true leader requires being open, actually listening to and respecting employees for the talent and ideas they bring to the company and then being transparent enough to admit when a mistake is made. It’s all about being a “See Through” CEO. Then, employees will be willing to see your perspective as an owner.

If you have not picked up a copy of Fast Company Magazine for March 08, please take a look. You can get it online through http://FastCompany.com. You may have to register online, but this magazine is so worth the read.

The current edition highlights The World’s Most Innovative Companies.

The top 5 are:

1. Google

2. Apple

3. Facebook

4. GE

5. IDEO

There is a full feature on Google, and the thing that struck me most is how they are appealing to Generation Y (diversity, healthy food, open collaboration, creativity, meaningful work). The one story that really grabbed my attention was the one featuring Matt Glotzbach, Product management director for Google Enterprise. On his first day on the job, he was challenged to go figure out how to launch Google Enterprise in Europe. Even though he was the new guy and had no international experience, he was given the task, and in one month Enterprise was launched in Europe. I don’t know Matt’s age, but this is so appealing to Gen Y…being given a big, meaningful job, and your leaders back you and empower you to go figure it out. That’s risky but this is what it takes to be one of the best.