If This Business Grows Because of You, Do You Grow With It?

See Original Forbes Business Council Expert Panel Post

One of our team players asked me a direct question once.

She wanted to know what Solpak's growth meant for her future.

Performance bonuses reward this year. Profit sharing rewards this quarter. Both matter. But neither answers the question a good player eventually asks quietly: if this business grows because of my work, do I get a piece of where it ends up?

 The solution was straightforward. Long-term bonuses tied to the market value growth of the business. Not just a share of annual profits. A stake in what the company itself becomes worth over time. 

We are two years in. The first allocation is coming. What we are watching for is whether people start relating to the business differently once they see the number. That is the part we have not measured yet.

It also turned out to be one of the most effective retention tools we ever implemented.

I shared this as my contribution to a Forbes Business Council expert panel, published March 26, 2026. Twenty business leaders, one question: how do you reward people beyond bonuses and equity? My tip was number eight.