Election challengers demand to enter to observe the absentee ballots counting but were dined after the room reached capacity during the 2020 general election in Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. (Credit: Salwan Georges-The Washington Post via Getty Images)This is the web version of CEO Daily. To get it delivered to your inbox, sign up here.
Good morning.
The U.S. election appears to be heading toward a relatively orderly conclusion. The feared violence and chaos, so far, has been avoided. There was no blue wave. There was no red wave. But there is still an intensely polarized nation, almost evenly divided, highly energized, sometimes angry, and living with completely different views, and even facts, regarding their national lives. The great challenges of our time—like climate change, COVID-19, and racial injustice—are perceived as almost entirely different realities on either side of the great divide.
At a time when CEOs are increasingly involved with their employees’ well-being, that political division can’t be ignored. “For CEOs right now,” says BCG CEO Rich Lesser, “the challenge is how do you convey a sense of community and humanity and support for the democratic process at a time when there is so much distrust and division. That’s the balance many of us are trying to navigate right now.”
Alan Fleischmann of Laurel Strategies predicts the election will “further elevate the role of what I call the CEO Statesmen. These past years have seen a dramatic rise in the willingness and necessity of private sector and civil society leaders stepping up to fill the void of government inaction. This trend only accelerated this past year. And as inspiring as it has been to see CEOs speak up on issues of social and economic justice, it will be just as important for the private sector and civil society to help the nation find a healing middle ground.”
In the meantime, visit Fortune.com
