Sam Moles, Digital Marketing Manager and Trustee Representative at employee-owned law firm Stephens Scown, and winner in the Employee Owner of the Year Award category of the UK Employee Ownership Awards 2023 shared powerful insights on transitioning from employee to owner mindset in this Alternative Exit podcast episode hosted by Andy Farquharson, Founder of a better monday.
The Mindset Transformation
Sam's journey illustrates the profound shift from singular role focus to holistic business ownership thinking.
As he puts it:
"once you have that mindset change from an employee to an owner... you start to understand that your actions have an impact on the business as a whole."
This transformation unlocks what he calls the "entrepreneurial switch" - where employees begin thinking like owners who can make a real difference.
Two Pillars of Employee Engagement
Communication & Access are the fundamental triggers for successful employee ownership transition:
Communication: Providing clear narrative and context about what employee ownership means, addressing natural fears and anxieties
Access: Giving employees access to financial information, business-critical data, and most importantly, their own voice in decision-making
Sam uses a compelling analogy: "When you become an owner of a dog, you understand what's required from you... but how good has your business been in communicating what your roles and responsibilities are when you've transitioned from employee to owner?"
"When you become an owner of a dog, you understand what's required from you... but how good has your business been in communicating what your roles and responsibilities are when you've transitioned from employee to owner?"
Practical Implementation: The "Ideas from Scowns" System
Stephens Scown created an innovative portal where employees submit business case ideas addressing:
Benefits and risks
Cost associations
Implementation strategies
The democratic voting system (50-vote threshold) ensures ideas have sufficient support before progressing to operational review. This shifts mindset from "I want something" to "How can my idea benefit the business?"
Leadership in Employee Ownership
Effective leaders in employee-owned businesses:
Encourage the entrepreneurial switch - Supporting employees who want to stretch beyond job descriptions
Provide constructive challenge - Acknowledging "you don't know what you don't know" while offering growth opportunities
Enable peer-to-peer learning - Moving from vertical to horizontal information sharing
Sam highlights how having non-finance colleagues present financial updates made information more accessible, as they "translated the language back to the language that everyone else would know."
Governance Balance
Not everything needs to be democratic. Stephens Scown uses a three-tier approach:
Leadership team decisions: Operational matters requiring quick resolution
Trust board involvement: Issues affecting employee-owners broadly
Full employee consultation: Cultural changes requiring rich qualitative feedback
The Trust Board Role
Employee trustees serve three-year terms with dual responsibilities:
Directors of the trust
Staff counselors representing employee voice
While viewed as "over and above" commitment, the time investment is manageable (monthly meetings, quarterly leadership sessions) and attracts those with genuine ownership mindset.
Making Employee Ownership Work
Sam encourages employees to:
Engage with external employee ownership communities
Participate in knowledge-sharing sessions with other employee-owned businesses
Take advantage of multiple communication channels within their organization
Connect with the Employee Ownership Association resources
Key Takeaways for Business Owners
For owners considering employee ownership transition, Sam recommends speaking with others who've made the same journey: "they're going to be the closest trusted advisors potentially" because they understand both the emotional and commercial aspects of the decision.
The Bigger Vision
Sam's "blue sky thinking" centers on three questions:
Wouldn't it be better if your people were more motivated?
Wouldn't it be better if your business was more successful?
Wouldn't it be better if the economy was more balanced with businesses that put people first, not just profits?
The Bottom Line: Employee ownership isn't just about changing ownership structure - it's about unlocking human potential through genuine engagement, transparent communication, and shared prosperity. When done right, it creates a workforce of entrepreneur-minded owners who drive both business success and cultural transformation.
This article is based on an episode of Alternative Exit podcast hosted by Andy Farquharson, Founder of a better monday, talking to Sam Moles. Connect with Andy and Sam on LinkedIn for further discussion about employee ownership journeys.
If you found this story useful…
The EO Sector newsletter shares practical insights, real-world case studies, and actionable ideas about employee ownership and inclusive business models.
Subscribe now to learn how forward-thinking companies are redesigning ownership — and what you can apply in your own work.