As corporate leaders today face unprecedented complexity in balancing the expectations of employees, consumers, investors, activists, and society, Weber Shandwick has conducted and monitored research to help corporate leaders find a path forward.

Key takeaways:

1. Empowered citizens are creating a new challenge for executives: misinformation and disinformation threaten an organization’s resiliency and reputation while new platforms and influencers are disrupting traditional institutions and reshaping information flows. A highly polarized citizenry can falsely link geopolitical and social issues to companies.
2. Significant majorities of employees, advocates, consumers, and citizens expect businesses to take a stand on managing complex societal issues beyond their own strategies and operations. Yet the C-Suite feels unprepared to engage.
3. A focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is creating opportunities to build greater resiliency, identify and manage business risks and drive up valuations. C-Suite leaders must broaden their definition of value to include not only engagements with employees and customers, but also their role in society.
4. To succeed in this environment, C-Suite leaders will need to evolve and adapt. Success requires more fluid decision-making, creating an expanded circle of advisors and perspectives, and having the confidence to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.