What I hope CEOs take away from Charlottesville
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The past week has shown me that there’s never been a more critical time for CEOs and companies to be clear about their values. And when I say values, I don’t mean the series of words on a wall or in the company’s recruiting materials just because they sound nice.
I mean the real values… those intangibles that intentionally (or unintentionally) drive behaviors within the organization.They need to be clear, and they need to serve as more than placemats. Even more, they should serve as a guide for action, not just reaction.
The immigration ban was the first test for companies under this administration. Unsure how to handle the situation, many took a “wait and see” approach.
Back in January, New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin wrote:
For corporate executives, the decision about whether to speak out against a policy from Mr. Trump so early in his administration has clearly been nerve-racking.
While it may appear as though a tidal wave of executives has come forward to condemn Mr. Trump’s executive order over immigration during the last 48 hours, each did so with a different flavor and tone — and most didn’t go public until some of their rivals and peers did first, as they sought safety in numbers.
Since then there have been several social and political situations requiring CEOs to choose between speaking out or staying silent, including North Carolina’s “bathroom bill,” the Paris climate agreement and Charlottesville…. and I’m willing to bet this month’s student loan payment that this list is going to get much longer. (Any takers?)
So I’m left wondering: Are CEOs convinced yet that social responsibility is a core function of their job? And if so, have they looked at their organizational values to decide which issues they’ll take a stand on in the future and how?
Sitting on the fence and waiting to react every time might seem like a safe strategy now, but I can’t imagine that it will feel that way for much longer.
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