Earned Ownership with Daniel Goldstein

Welcome to another nugget-packed episode of the Nuts and Bolts of Leadership Podcast with our hosts, Billy Duren and Hali Gibson. Today, Daniel Goldstein, retired CEO and President of Folience, and an executive leader and experienced board member, joins us on the show.

 As an established leader in the ESOP community, Daniel shares his story of overseeing the transition from a media company to a holding company and acquiring an emergency vehicle manufacturer as part of building the Folience portfolio. He delves into the realities of employee ownership and the idea that shares are not free but earned with employees' ideas, talents, dedication, and service. He also explores the need to embrace employee ownership in all shapes and sizes. Later in the episode, we discuss how Daniel is advocating for employee ownership globally and how companies are now embracing the spirit of employee ownership.

Throughout the episode, we dive into nuggets of leadership wisdom, from ideas like "plan your work and work your plan" to "luxury is how I spend my time." We discuss what it means to invest in employees to help them feel welcome, respected, and heard, and what it means to empower employees to have a license to act. Daniel also advises executive-level leaders that while your title is often a part of your identity, it does not need to define you entirely. CEOs may always have "CEO" tattooed on their foreheads, but it is what you do with your leadership identity that makes the impact.

Looking for more leadership nuggets?

Discover the books and leaders mentioned in this episode: The Motive by Patrick Lencioni