How can you encourage social responsibility as a strategic leader?

1 Define your vision

The first step is to define your vision of social responsibility, based on your values, mission, and goals. What are the social and environmental issues that matter most to you and your stakeholders? How do they align with your core business strategy and purpose? How do you want to make a difference in the world? Your vision should be clear, inspiring, and realistic, and communicate your expectations and aspirations to your team and partners.

2 Assess your performance

The second step is to assess your current performance on social responsibility, using relevant indicators and benchmarks. How do you measure and report your social and environmental impact? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are the risks and opportunities? How do you compare with your competitors and peers? You can use various tools and frameworks, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the B Impact Assessment, or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to guide your assessment and identify areas for improvement.

3 Set your goals and actions

The third step is to set your goals and actions for social responsibility, based on your vision and assessment. What are the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives that you want to achieve? What are the strategies and tactics that you will use to reach them? How will you allocate your resources and responsibilities? How will you monitor and evaluate your progress and results? You should involve your team and stakeholders in the goal-setting and action-planning process, to ensure their buy-in and commitment.

4 Communicate and engage

The fourth step is to communicate and engage with your internal and external audiences on social responsibility, to build trust and credibility. How do you inform and educate your employees, customers, suppliers, investors, regulators, media, and community about your vision, performance, goals, and actions? How do you listen and respond to their feedback and concerns? How do you collaborate and partner with them to create shared value and mutual benefits? You should use various channels and platforms, such as newsletters, websites, social media, events, reports, or awards, to communicate and engage effectively.

5 Learn and innovate

The fifth step is to learn and innovate on social responsibility, to continuously improve your impact and adapt to changing needs and expectations. How do you collect and analyze data and evidence on your social and environmental outcomes and impacts? How do you celebrate your successes and acknowledge your failures? How do you learn from your own and others' experiences and best practices? How do you foster a culture of innovation and creativity, to find new ways of solving social and environmental problems? You should use various methods and tools, such as surveys, audits, case studies, or brainstorming, to learn and innovate systematically.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?