Oct 22, 2025

Communities That Connect: Why Employee-Led Groups Are a Business Imperative

It started with just a handful of our Argano employees. A few curious conversations in a chat channel about AI, a shared interest, and then, a spark. Before I knew it, a community formed around the topic—not because of a corporate mandate, but because a group of passionate people saw an opportunity and decided to build something themselves.

As I watched that grassroots energy take hold and evolve into a force that began shaping our company's strategy, it reminded me of a fundamental truth: the most powerful parts of any culture are the ones you can’t plan in a boardroom. They’re the ones that grow organically, from the ground up.

And that organic growth is precisely why these employee-led communities are no longer just social clubs; they are strategic assets.

Yet in my experience, unlocking their potential requires a shift in how we lead—away from top-down management and toward a model of active, trust-based enablement. So when you see a spark of grassroots energy in your organization, your job is to figure out how to nurture it into a fire.

Protecting the Spark

The fact is, the magic of these communities is their authenticity, and that authenticity is only possible because they are not corporate mandates. Instead, they are born from the passion of people who see a need and have the drive to step up and lead. And this is the crucial difference. The distinction between a thriving community and one that exists only on paper almost always comes down to one thing: a genuine sense of purpose.

In the most successful groups, people show up because they want to, not because they’re told to. You can feel the energy that comes from that shared commitment. However, that same grassroots energy is fragile. I've seen it falter when a group's mission becomes unclear or the space no longer feels safe enough for open and honest conversation. Because if discussions aren't leading to real solutions or visible growth, people will naturally stop investing their time. So that initial, employee-led spark is the most valuable asset, and a leader’s role isn't to contain it, but to protect it.

How to Actively Enable, Not Manage

Once you recognize the potential of these groups, the immediate question becomes: how do you support them without stifling the very energy that makes them work? The answer is to shift from a mindset of management to one of active enablement.

First, I've learned that the company's support must be two-fold. There is the practical support—offering the essential infrastructure like communication platforms, planning templates, and access to internal experts. But just as important is the connective support. This is the active work of ensuring community leaders know who to reach out to for help and connecting dots between different groups to foster collaboration. Because most of the employees leading these groups are volunteers taking on this work in addition to their demanding day jobs, removing the administrative burden through both of these channels empowers them to focus on making a real impact.

This entire support system is then powerfully amplified by the presence of senior leadership. I believe the single most impactful action a senior leader can take is to simply show up, consistently and with genuine curiosity. When senior leaders attend meetings, ask thoughtful questions, and engage in the conversation, it sends an undeniable message that this work is valued. That support becomes even stronger when it’s made public, because celebrating these community leaders, both formally and informally, not only validates their effort but also inspires others to get involved.

Finally, true enablement means creating a "connective tissue" between these communities. It’s important to ensure that while each group is unique, they feel like part of a larger ecosystem tied to a shared purpose. By linking communities to share ideas and align on common goals, we prevent duplicated efforts and give them more momentum, reinforcing that their work fits into the larger strategic narrative of the company.

Measuring the Fire's Impact

When you create this supportive environment, you begin to see an impact that goes far beyond traditional business metrics. This requires us to redefine how we measure success, looking not just for tangible outcomes, but for the human and emotional impacts that truly define a thriving culture.

For too long, the default metric has been simple participation. But I’ve found a better measure is the depth of connection and the real-world influence these groups have. Some of the most powerful moments I’ve witnessed have come from our Veteran’s Alliance, a community built on shared understanding and experience. From a fundraiser for a cause they are personally involved with to a Memorial Day call honoring friends and family members they’ve lost, this group provides a space for a special kind of connection.

Success is also seeing sparks collide and grow between communities. Recently, we’ve seen incredible cross-collaborations, such as when a leader from our EQUAL crew was invited to speak on a panel for our Empowering Women at Argano group about mental health and neurodivergence. That single connection has since blossomed into multiple collaborations. These moments prove the true worth of these communities, because if one person feels more connected, understood, or supported, it was a success.

And that human impact fuels direct business results. In fact, at Argano, we see this when our Young Professionals group launches a mentorship program that forges new career pathways, or when an ERG’s insights inform a new product feature or a more effective client approach. We see it when a community drives the completion of a critical company-wide training or helps foster a stronger sense of pride across the organization. These are the tangible results that prove their strategic worth and justify continued investment.

Why Every Organization Needs Firestarters

Witnessing these experiences has reshaped my perspective, especially now. In a time when some organizations are pulling back on belonging efforts, I believe these employee-led communities are more essential than ever. They must be seen not just as DEI initiatives, but as strategic centers for innovation.

Because innovation, after all, rarely happens in isolation. It is sparked when you bring diverse perspectives together to solve real problems. These communities do that naturally. They connect people across geographies, backgrounds, and business functions, creating that powerful mix of viewpoints that leads to more creativity and better outcomes. And they inspire the best in people, fostering the collaboration, performance, and engagement that drive real impact, while creating the trust and shared purpose that so many are seeking at work today.

So, our role as leaders isn't to manufacture that magic. It's to champion it, create the right conditions, and then get out of the way.

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