Leaders - No, You Can't Be Saints

 Virtue has become an overcrowded territory. Both conservatives and liberals who put themselves out there for what they designate as all the right things come across as, well, untrustworthy. 

That's what head of the Edelman Trust Institute Justin Blake warned at Davos Summer. Axios reports Blake hammered that taking stances on issues is a complicated process. The message essentially is: Choose your shots. How to do that? Blake recommends assessing the needs and wants of stakeholders. Then, follow that. 

This isn't new, of course.

From the get-go in a career we have been advised to choose our shots. Don't go to the superiors with every beef. Select one, and approach with a solution.

What is new is that the ESG (Environmental Social Governance) has been creating a growing number of issues - many conflicting. The classic is: Employee rights versus the interests of shareholders. Get that wrong and the leadership could wind up as The Next Disney or The Next Starbucks. Mired in bad publicity, neither can pull out of the confusion about values. 

Also what's not new is that a nimble law firm saw the need to invent a service to help business with decision-making and actual conduct. Way back in spring 2020 Paul Weiss structured the first-ever in the legal sector Sustainability-ESG practice. The brainchild of the chairperson Brad Karp, its purpose is to assist leaders in navigating the changing currents of global values. 

Note in this description of the service from the Paul Weiss website Karp had anticipated the importance of factoring in stakeholders:

"Business leaders face greater pressure to increase their organizations’ resilience while simultaneously addressing social issues of importance to stakeholders [italics mine]  stakeholders. Our advisory practice helps companies navigate the legal, business and political ramifications of developing and implementing ESG initiatives. We advise on matters such as stakeholder engagement, corporate governance, crisis management, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, ethics and compliance."

Beyond business, virtue is also a major factor in current political campaigns  for the midterms and what will likely take place for 2024. Here in the conservative southwestern part of Arizona, those on my social network are very vocal about who among possible GOP presidential candidates for 2024 are saintly enough - at least, according to their criteria. Yes, voters as stakeholders.

Connect with Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

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