The Limits of Ownership

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When you re draw boundaries, an unavoidable side effect is that you will exclude some of your current stake holders. But this isn't a reason to compromise. Ownership was another boundary pal re shaped to channel a sense of purpose. I also made everybody a shareholder in the company. A firmly believe in that that's probably one of the most important stakeholders and they should benefit in the success of the company. And we got a very high take up of shareownership from everybody from the tory worker up to the senior managers. It's not just the monetery. It's just feeling valued being part of which is one of the q human drivers,. You anpower people by doing that.

When Paul Polman joined Unilever as CEO in 2009, the consumer goods company – home to 400-plus brands including Dove soap, Ben & Jerry’s, and Vaseline – had been stagnated with years of lackluster performance. His famous turnaround of the company centered around his ability to redraw the boundaries of Unilever’s mission to emphasize sustainability and long-term growth. He’s a perfect example of why every leader should consistently reexamine the boundaries that limit their business – and be prepared to redraw them as you grow. By redrawing boundaries, you can reinvigorate your team with a new sense of power. As Polman says, “You cannot change people's behaviors if you only work on the purpose – and don’t change the boundaries around it that drive people's behavior.”

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