Yesterday, my son took on a new role in our family. I told him there’d be some changes to our after-school schedule for the next quarter. He listened, nodded along, and then announced, “I have new rules in this house.”
Now, as parents, we’re usually the rule-setters. But this wasn’t about who’s “in charge.” He followed up with, “Not as a boss, but as a family member.” He wanted to share his own rules with us as equals, not as an authority taking over, but as someone with a voice. He’s planning to present them on Friday.
It got me thinking about business owners, CEOs, and managers. There’s this myth about leadership that the top position is where all decisions are born, executed, and enforced. But the best leaders know that the people in the trenches often have some of the best ideas. That mindset of sharing authority and inviting others to help shape the “rules” has actually been around a long time.
Back in the 1920s, sociologists started noticing something called the Hawthorne Effect. Researchers at the Hawthorne Works factory in Chicago found that when workers were asked for their input, their productivity shot up. The work didn’t change, the pay didn’t change, but morale and engagement did. People like being valued. When we feel our voice matters, we care more about the outcome.
Fast forward to now. Companies like Google, Gore-Tex, and Toyota have long embedded collaborative decision-making into their culture. They don’t just “allow” employees to speak up, they encourage it. That’s because shared ownership over ideas leads to innovation and commitment. It’s simple but true: when people are invested in the rules, they’re more likely to play by them.
In our family, my son and I are on the same page. He doesn’t want to take over; he just wants his say. The same applies to business teams. Employees don’t need to be “the boss.” They want a voice, a chance to help shape the world they’re part of. Real leadership is about making room for that voice without feeling like you’re giving up control.
It’s a small story, sure, but it holds a big lesson. Sometimes, the best way to lead is to listen. And sometimes, the best rule of all is letting others set a few of their own.
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