Your customers and team want you to take a stand: when and why leaders should speak up on social issues

How many times have you stood in front of your team during a difficult moment in our history and debated whether or not to speak out?

Whether it’s racial justice, climate change, pay equity, or any one of a wide variety of other social issues, the past few years have led us to several forks in the road and have demanded a response on how we will move forward. 

Though it’s not necessary for company leaders to speak out on every issue, two-thirds of consumers expect executives to lend their voice to social issues at least some of the time. Using your voice on a controversial topic can be intimidating, and while it can be tempting to remain neutral, recent research indicates that 56% of consumers do not respect CEOs who are silent on social issues.

Employees also want top leaders to participate in discussions of current events, with more than half of U.S. employees reporting that they expect their top leaders to make a stance on some social issue. 

And while some well-intended sociopolitical statements can backfire and cause unintended controversy, by following a few guidelines, you can assure it’s the right time is for your company’s leaders to take a stance.

The issue aligns with your corporate values

One of the top reasons to lend your perspective to an issue is that it aligns with your company’s core values. Using your voice to address the issue--along with tying it back to your company’s values in a concrete, meaningful way--is more likely to be perceived as authentic and sincere and will reinforce your organization’s commitment to that value with your employees and customers. Conversely, failing to speak up can give the impression that your company's mission statement is just corporate babble.

Your customers care about the issue

When taking a side on a controversial issue, you’re unlikely to please everyone, but if a large portion of your customer base agrees with your stance, speaking up can boost positive sentiment and buying behavior toward your brand. According to a Gallup study, customers spent twice as much with companies whose purpose aligned with their own values and saw an increase in loyalty when companies championed causes related to that purpose. 

You’re willing to take action

While voicing your support for an issue is important, sometimes public statements can come across as opportunistic or bandwagoning if not backed up by action. Making a plan on how your organization can meaningfully contribute monetarily, through providing services, or volunteering will bolster the perception of your commitment to the issue.

Final thoughts

In the current political climate and beyond, there are likely to be many issues that our employees and customers care about. Carefully choosing a few signature issues to champion that align with your company’s purpose and core values can boost employee morale, customer engagement, and positive sentiment toward your organization.