Most of us have experienced that invisible hierarchy in a workplace where decisions flow one way, power is guarded at the top, and collaboration is a buzzword more than a reality. The traditional “power-over” approach is so baked into our systems that it can feel inevitable. It’s the assumption that leaders must control, employees must comply, and the measure of success is who comes out on top. And the feeling is clearer now more than ever, as more workers are awakening to how power works in practical terms.
But there’s another way to think about power at work: power-with. The concept of power-with is a fundamentally different operating model and one that recognizes that power is more resilient and more productive when it’s shared.
There are companies today proving that collaborative, equitable models can work, even in the systems we have now.
Power-with vs. power-over: What’s the difference?
Power-over assumes control is a scarce resource and that leaders hold it, while others get it only when granted. It’s competitive, hierarchical, and often zero-sum.
Power-with, on the other hand, treats power as a collective capacity. Power-with doesn’t dilute authority or avoid decisions. It creates structures where more people have the ability and the responsibility to influence outcomes.
The shift from power-over to power-with can look like:
- Decision-making that includes people closest to the work
- Shared financial benefits tied to company performance
- Structures that give employees real ownership stakes
- Transparent communication around goals, challenges, and results
Why this matters now
The last few years have shown cracks in the way we work: rising inequality, burnout, talent shortages, and public distrust of leadership. At the same time, people are craving meaning, fairness, and agency.
In that environment, power-with is an advantage. It builds trust, increases engagement, and often leads to stronger financial performance. The proof is in the examples.
Case Study #1: B Corps with employee ownership
B Corps commit to balancing profit and purpose, and while the certification alone doesn’t guarantee equity, some go further by giving employees a literal stake in the company.
Take King Arthur Baking Company. Founded in 1790, it’s now 100% employee-owned. Every employee has a voice and a financial interest in the company’s success. That ownership drives a culture where collaboration isn’t just encouraged, it’s embedded. Decisions that affect employees’ lives aren’t made without their input, because the employees are the owners.
The B Corp system is far from perfect, as it still operates within market pressures. But companies like King Arthur show how power-with can exist inside a capitalist framework.
Case Study #2: Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) & ESOPs
EOTs are gaining traction in the U.S. after decades of success in the UK. They hold a company’s shares in trust for employees, which means the business can’t be sold to outside investors without employee consent.
Clegg Auto, a Utah-based repair shop, converted to an EOT in 2021. Within a year, profits doubled, turnover dropped, and employee engagement soared. Employees weren’t just fixing cars, they were building something they owned together.
Similarly, ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) give employees an ownership stake over time. Grocery chains like WinCo Foods have thrived under this model, offering employees retirement accounts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in an industry notorious for low wages and instability.
Case Study #3: Shared ownership in unexpected places
It’s not just co-ops and B Corps experimenting with this. Even private equity is dabbling.
KKR’s Ownership Works program has rolled out shared equity to tens of thousands of non-management employees. This program is designed to improve performance and loyalty. They show that when you give people a stake, they act like owners.
Case Study #4: Worker cooperatives
For a more radical example, look at the Mondragon Corporation in Spain. It’s a federation of 95 worker co-ops employing over 80,000 people. Wages are capped at a ratio of 6:1 between the highest- and lowest-paid workers. Major decisions are made democratically, and profits are reinvested or shared.
Mondragon’s success — and its challenges — offers lessons for any organization:
- Shared power requires strong governance structures
- Collaboration can scale, but it must be intentional
- Profit doesn’t disappear, but it’s not the only measure of success
Case Study #5: Steward-ownership models
Steward-ownership separates economic rights (profits) from voting rights (control), ensuring that mission remains the North Star.
Patagonia’s 2022 move to place ownership in a trust and nonprofit structure ensures profits are used to protect the planet. Ikea has operated under a foundation model for decades. And while not steward-owned in the strictest legal sense, Costco operates with governance and profit-sharing models that prioritize long-term member and employee wellbeing over short-term investor gains.
These structures prevent short-term profit extraction and keep decision-making aligned with long-term values. In many ways, they’re the purest form of institutionalized power-with.
What these models have in common
Across all these examples, a few themes emerge:
- Shared stakes: Employees benefit directly from the company’s success.
- Transparency: Information flows freely so everyone can contribute meaningfully.
- Participation: Workers have a voice in decisions that affect them.
- Long-term thinking: Structures discourage short-term wins at the expense of people.
Bringing power-with into your world
You may not be able to turn your company into a co-op tomorrow, but you can start shifting toward power-with in smaller, meaningful ways:
- Open up decision-making: Involve more people in shaping policies or strategies.
- Share financial information: Even partial transparency builds trust.
- Reward collaboration: Recognize and incentivize team-based outcomes.
- Ask for input — and act on it: Nothing kills trust faster than performative listening.
- Advocate for ownership options: If you’re in a position to influence benefits, explore profit-sharing, equity grants, or other shared-stake models.
- Get expert guidance: Talk with a financial or legal expert who understands employee ownership models, trusts, or cooperative structures. They can help you navigate tax implications, governance design, and long-term sustainability so your structure supports both your people and your mission.
The point isn’t to romanticize these models or pretend they’re easy. Every example here exists within the messy reality of market pressures, economic inequality, and human complexity. But they prove something important: power-with isn’t a fantasy. It’s already here, in pockets, shaping better workplaces and stronger communities.
If we want a future where work feels fair, collaborative, and human, we can start by noticing the places where that’s already true and borrowing their ideas. Because once you see power-with in action, it’s hard to unsee. And it’s even harder to go back.