Over the past three decades, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with countless CEOs and to learn what distinguishes truly great companies. Time and again, what they all share is that they have a clear sense of purpose; consistent values; and, crucially, they recognize the importance of engaging with and delivering for their key stakeholders. This is the foundation of stakeholder capitalism.
Stakeholder capitalism is driving the purpose
“Clients, Employees, Community will drive more consistent and durable profitability”
“Young, innovative companies have never had easier access to capital. Never has there been more money available for new ideas to become reality. This is fueling a dynamic landscape of innovation. It means that virtually every sector has an abundance of disruptive startups trying to topple market leaders.”
“I believe in capitalism’s ability to help individuals achieve better futures, to drive innovation, to build resilient economies, and to solve some of our most intractable challenges. Capital markets have allowed companies and countries to flourish. But access to capital is not a right. It is a privilege. And the duty to attract that capital in a responsible and sustainable way lies with you.”
“The next 1,000 unicorns won’t be search engines or social media companies, they’ll be sustainable, scalable innovators”
“With the unprecedented amount of capital looking for new ideas, incumbents need to be clear about their pathway succeeding in a net zero economy. And it’s not just startups that can and will disrupt industries. Bold incumbents can and must do it too. Indeed, many incumbents have an advantage in capital, market knowledge, and technical expertise on the global scale required for the disruption ahead.”
“Companies who are really focused on their purpose build a strong and resolute culture”
“Putting your company’s purpose at the foundation of your relationships with your stakeholders is critical to long-term success.”
“Employees need to understand and connect with your purpose; and when they do, they can be your staunchest advocates. Customers want to see and hear what you stand for as they increasingly look to do business with companies that share their values. And shareholders need to understand the guiding principle driving your vision and mission. They will be more likely to support you in difficult moments if they have a clear understanding of your strategy and what is behind it.”
“The drive for talent is going to become bigger. Retention and funding talent is going to become the biggest problem”
That remote purpose shared with updates is key.
It’s not just wages anymore, it’s about the association to those great companies
People want to show up for purposeful work.
Access to capital has broadened so dramatically.
Easy access to capital means more new technologies, and more new entrants in every industry, alongside more disruption.
