Approaches to speaking up
Sometimes speaking up is an easy call. But often it’s not—CEOs have many types of stakeholders, sometimes with conflicting and contradictory wants, needs and beliefs. If silence isn’t an option, when—and how—should leaders use their voice?
Consider who needs to hear from you
“CEOs have a lot of fear about saying the wrong thing on social issues. I don’t think many would be transparent about that, but a lot of times people don’t say anything because they're afraid; they don't know what the reaction is going to be. It's very difficult to communicate opinions on what are often very complicated issues, especially in social posts or by email or in short interviews.
“In that landscape, from my personal perspective, I think: What is my value set? Should I be saying something? Do I believe there are people in my community—my customers, my employees, my shareholders—who are affected by this issue and need to know that I support them?
“Sometimes people just want to know that you’re willing to talk and that you understand the issue. You may not have all the answers, but making it known to people that you’re willing to have the conversation and that you want to support them is more important than being perfect in your response.”
Consider who doesn't need to hear from you
“Being a CEO, you are really out there. You are the face of your organization and your organization's culture. Speaking out against certain political or social issues could severely impact your corporation. It's a very vulnerable position.
“I'm very cautious about what I push for. As an example, CCAB didn’t come out and say anything about the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Personally, yes, I have a strong opinion. But if I had been asked to do a media interview on the topic, I would have declined, because I would be there representing CCAB, and that matter is not within our mandate. And also, importantly, I don’t want to take away space from the people and organizations for whom that is their mandate.
“Similarly, with confirmation of the discovery of mass graves at Kamloops in 2021, I had a couple of interview requests around that, and I declined. Because, of course, I had opinions and feelings about it. But I didn’t want to take away space from the survivors or from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. I was adamant that we weren’t going to use something like that to gain exposure for our organization.”
Calibrate to values
“The world is expecting that if you are in a leadership position, you should use your voice for good. But you have to keep in mind that, as a leader, your positions might be polarizing. You have to boil it down to what is your brand and what are your core values. Does what you want to say line up with not only your personal core values but also the organization’s core values? If the answers are yes, you can take a stand.
“For example, Laurentian Bank has been around for 176 years, and we have a history of serving the underserved; many of our employees are immigrants. I'm a woman, and I'm an immigrant, so it's easy for me to have a stance on those issues, and I’ve been quite vocal about what we can do as leaders and as a bank to help these causes.
“But it is a slippery slope. Because when you do take a stand, then some people will say, ‘Well, what about this? What about that?’ You have to make sure that what you’re saying adds to the conversation rather than taking away and creating divisiveness.”
If consensus is impossible, create understanding
“When you're managing different stakeholders with varying differences of views, the important thing to do before you take a stand one way or the other is to listen carefully. Talk to all the stakeholders, understand their points of view, and listen objectively. Don’t take sides. And as you’re listening, filter out the noise so you don’t get caught up in it and get bad data or information, which might lead you to make the wrong call.
“Once you’ve done all that, you’ll be in a position to say, for example, ‘OK, on this issue, the customer’s right, the board's not right.’ In that case, your job becomes to make sure the board is educated about the information you’ve learned and why you support the position.
“Ultimately, managing different stakeholders is all about knowing, embracing and helping people understand the importance of interdependence. The business world is an interconnected system. One party’s success depends on the success of others. Your job as a leader is to help people understand that and bring everyone into alignment.”
Should CEOs get controversial?
Business leaders are often asked to voice their position on important social issues. Is it the role of a CEO (or equivalent) to take a firm position on social issues—even if they are controversial?
81% of Canadians we surveyed agreed that “it is the role of a CEO or business leader to take a firm position on important social issues.”
Today's leaders shut up sometimes
The internet wants—and, sometimes, demands—that business leaders take stands whenever a major social, environmental or political issue takes place. But what if the effects of those issues on the business and its stakeholders are mixed, or unclear? And what if the leader hasn’t had time to fully inform themselves or develop an opinion? Connie Lo, the Co-Founder of wildly popular natural skincare brand Three Ships Beauty, explains her approach to speaking up in the age of cancel culture.
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