Center of Change

//Center of Change

By Joaquín Mirkin

El enfoque tradicional de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa y Filantropía que ha primado durante años resulta hoy inadecuado para empresas con vocación de crecimiento y liderazgo. La expansión de la economía global plenamente integrada a través de la digitalización –liderada por Estados Unidos y la República Popular de China–, sumada a los cambios de poder internacional y de valores, evidencian una transformación profunda y el comienzo de una nueva civilización. 

In this context, business leaders have new and greater demands: to walk a path that turns them from passive spectators to leaders of transformation. Fundamental to the new leadership is an understanding of public opinion. But, there is not a single opinion, but a plurality of conflicting points of view and interests that are settled in the digital agora and in the field of actions. Public Opinions are shaped not only by governments, regulators, customers, shareholders, investors, employees and the media, but also by multiple pressure groups – the so-called Grass Roots— and grassroots movements of all kinds, social and digital activism.

Paul Pölman, former CEO of Unilever, has been a pioneer in ethical leadership at the head of his company, although at the time he was resisted for his disruptive innovation. Together with Andrew Winston they have just published “Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take” (Harvard Business Review Press, 2021). There, the authors recommend four critical paths. First of all, working at the service of multiple stakeholders (rather than putting shareholders above everyone else); second, to assume as its own the impact of the company in environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters; third, develop lasting relationships, even with critics; and, fourth, to rethink the relationship with governments. 

Pölman has been one of the first to present these concepts in the corporate world, understanding that responsibility is not mere narrative but an ethical framework for action. He reflected on it and embodied these values ​​on a day-to-day basis, not exempt from criticism and resistance, today he is a tall reference, an undisputed leader. "Net positive companies come up with solutions rather than wait for (or complain about) regulations that tell them what to do," he says in his new book. 

In this line, a key question arises: how do public opinions perceive the organization? Does the company lead, get involved or "just say it cares”? Today this gap must be less and less, since the pressure for coherence and cohesion at all strategic and action levels is and will be greater. The question crosses the entire organization and is the axis of sustainability in matters of the Environment, Society and Internal Audiences; where Compliance comes in, an increasingly important issue in a highly competitive environment and growing regulations. Compliance is directly related to Governance, since they are two interdependent axes that cannot exist without each other. 

Finally, the most important thing is that this whole process tends towards the search and the symbolic struggle, which is to conquer the gaze, the interest and the legitimacy of the Public Opinions that function as a great panopticon evaluating all our behaviors. Under this premise, we could define the new paradigm as the conjugation of Interpellate, Educate and Mobilize in the face of apathy and restlessness in the face of uncertainty, which has existed throughout history, what happens is that today there is greater awareness about the possibility of change. 

The expectations in the post-pandemic are enormous and the new leaders must embody what are the concerns and desires of people in their day to day, where what has not been said and what has been silent for years is finding possibilities of expression through the new platforms. 

This article was originally published on the blog of the consulting firm Torres y Carrera, Consultores de Comunicación, el 04 de octubre de 2021. Más información aquí.

Joaquin Mirkin. Certified International Executive Coach. He is the CEO of Mirkin Consulting Public Affairs, a consulting firm based in Madrid. He has more than 20 years of experience in consulting and supporting Leadership. He is the founder and CEO of the International Public Affairs Network, an independent network of senior professionals and Public Affairs agencies.

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