We are all activists

Leaders in a senior position in business today know how to deliver financial value – that’s why they’re in those senior positions. But simply delivering financial value is no longer enough, at a time when the world is having to deal with multiple crises, from climate change to water scarcity, equitable access to medicines and healthcare. 

Each of these global social issues is hard to resolve without a systemic approach as they are inseparable from each other. There isn’t a company in the world that is not having to think about the impact of these issues on their business.

This can seem overwhelming, so it’s natural that businesses might try to ignore the big picture and instead focus on what’s happening in their business; perhaps by doing the minimum to satisfy ESG requirements in their industry or issuing statements about their purpose and values.

But the crises the world is facing are not issues that can be kept outside the walls of the business. They are at the top…