In the age of ESG, CEOs face constant pressure to “take a stand” on the issues. As we await tonight’s outcome, here’s my regular reminder to resist this pressure.
It feels like you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t—but the damnation for NOT doing it is overstated.
Once you wade into the fray, you can’t wade out.
Sometimes you get pressure from one stakeholder group to say something… whether it’s about climate change, women’s issues, DEI, national political figures—the list is endless. Other times, you might personally feel strongly convicted about something and feel it’s your duty to speak out.
But we all see the fallout. It happens on both the left and right, whether you’re Howard Schultz at Starbucks opining on same-sex marriage in 2013 or Robert Unanue at Goya speaking at CPAC in 2021. “Bud Light” is still a rallying cry. For all he’s achieved, Elon Musk has also placed a huge target on his companies’ backs by becoming politically active.
My case for holding your tongue is pret…
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