Spot on. Thank you Gov. Desantis.
At many companies, vocal employees have in recent years pushed bosses to take public stands on social and political issues. Florida's pushback against Disney has raised the stakes.
www.foxbusiness.com
In private meetings and coaching sessions over the past few weeks, top business leaders have been asking a version of the same question: How can we avoid becoming the next
Walt Disney Co.?
The fallout from the recent political spat between
Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has alarmed leaders across the corporate sphere, according to executives and their advisers, and heightened the challenges for chief executive officers navigating charged topics.
At many companies, vocal employees have in recent years pushed bosses to take public stands on social and political issues. Florida's pushback against Disney has raised the stakes.
"The No. 1 concern CEOs have is, 'When should I speak out on public issues?' said Bill George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic PLC and now a senior fellow at Harvard Business School. "As one CEO said to me, 'I want to speak out on social issues, but I don't want to get involved in politics.' Which I said under my breath, 'That's not possible.' "
Some executives might be relieved. The old idea that CEOs should focus on shareholder returns and stay out of politics lingers in some corporate suites, even in a politicized age of public social-media discussions and more activist workforces.
Certainly the consequences of weighing in appear to be changing. Lawmakers for years have expressed displeasure when companies take public stands on issues like voting access, through critical tweets, public remarks and, in some cases, calls for public boycotts. Disney's experience shows a willingness to go further, corporate advisers say, by challenging arrangements that have helped a company to operate...
But Disney's recent experience in Florida has captured the attention of C-suite executives at companies big and small, given the impact on its operations, many say.