The Evolving Role of Leaders, and How to Be Ready

Disney World may be the happiest place on earth, but not so much for The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek, as he continues to play catch up with the “DeSantis vs. Disney” headlines in the news.

Disney vs. DeSantis In a nutshell…

The State of Florida recently passed the Parental Rights in Education bill, popularly dubbed “Don’t Say, Gay.” This ignited “Say Gay” protests across the state and US by groups supporting LGBTQ+ rights…including many of Disney’s 70K “cast members,” Disney’s term for its employees. Chapek finally spoke publicly against the bill after employees and human rights groups condemned his silence, spawning cries of too little, too late from those rallying against the bill. At the same time, the governor and legislators who supported the bill threatened to cut the financial benefits Disney receives from the state.

As criticism from both sides continues to escalate, Chapek is likely wondering, “How did I get here?” and “Where are the other CEOs and Senior Leaders?”

?Was it Backward Thinking Leadership? What Has Changed?

In the past (like yesterday), leaders' success was measured solely by profit. “It’s not personal; its business” was universally understood as true. With 58 million annual guests, 70 thousand employees, and nine board members, “neutral” was the prime strategy for a company like Disney to keep everyone happy.

And public and private were still a thing—meaning CEOs, politicians, and everyday people could say or promise different things to distinct audiences, give money to opposing organizations, and it would all stay secret.

Now the pandemic has had many searching for more meaning, which means purchasing from or doing business with companies whose values align with their own. From climate change to race and gender equity to access to healthcare and beyond, consumers and employees want to know a company’s values when making decisions about where they will buy or work.

Organizations Are Under Pressure.

?Leaders of today and tomorrow cannot rely on the past norms. Technology (and public values) will continue to drive an expectation of transparency and accountability. At the same time, organizations are under pressure to lead at a new level that goes well beyond profit. According to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, an online survey of 36 thousand respondents from 28 countries, there is an increasing expectation that corporate leaders will speak out about, if not solve, societal challenges. Respondents said they want organizations to publicly speak out about one or more of these societal challenges: Pandemic Impact, Job automation, societal issues, and local community issues. They want organizations to step in when the government does not fix societal distrust and issues.

?How Will the Leadership Rise to this Challenge?

?What do you think? Given this context of transparency and values focus, how could Chapek have preempted or avoided his current leadership crisis? How do you see this new expectation of leadership applying to your work?

?Here are three frames to prepare for the new face of leadership.

?1.???Connect the Dots

Are you owning the societal initiatives and connecting them across the ecosystem??

A committee cannot lead today's interconnected dilemmas with no accountability from the senior leadership team. Taking three to four days to respond to a social issue that you have highlighted as a critical initiative is not acceptable. Transformation by delegation does not work, and that is not how human-centered leaders show up.

2.???Prepare for the future:

Are you practicing “futuring” scenarios or what-if discussions that can help you prepare your executive team for future unexpected disruption and social/geopolitical conflict? Is every leader in your organization tracking social and regional political sentiments and how they might impact your social sustainability agenda??

A sample futuring exercise for Disney might include facilitated discussions like:

How will we respond as an organization if DeSantis wins another term for Governor in Florida or the Presidency in 2024?

·How do we prepare?if Kamala Harris becomes president of the USA in the next three years?

·How will our purpose and policies stay the same, and how will they need to change?

Leaders today need to practice futuring exercises and strategic sensing beforehand... and based on where their local, regional, national, and social-political sentiments are leading.

3.???Be the Authentic Caring?Warrior

This is the need for CEOs to passionately?represent their cause or purpose while caring for the good of all stakeholders. This is not your Superbowl marketing empathy and purpose commercial. This is about your being authentic, transparent, and trustworthy, and most important is about your being, not about your doing.

Are you Ready?

Mercedes Martin & Co. recently released a report, based on a year of research with more than 20 senior leaders across 16 industries in 5 countries, focused on how leaders define, envision, and practice socially sustainable leadership.

The research report outlines recommendations on how organizations can develop leaders and teams for a more socially sustainable, inclusive world, including five practices that CEOs can start doing now, and five mind shifts that will help them prepare for the future.

1. Start with Self Reflection: Shift from lens to “mirror work”
2. Practice cultivating safe and brave places: Shift from masking to rewarding vulnerability
3. Practice building trusting relationships: Shift from tribal & transactional to collective and transformational relationships
4. Practice aligning short and “long-view” goals for impact. Shift from a short-term problem focus to a long-term future focus
5. Practice building bold and strategic social networks and partnerships to accelerate progress: Shift from individual to whole system convening.

To learn more about the five practices and shifts, contact Mercedes Martin & Company today to see how we can support you rewire your leadership mindset.

Resources

?Edelman Trust Barometer 2022 ??report, https://www.edelman.com/trust/2022-trust

Barnes, Brooks. Disney, Built on Fairy Tales and Fantasy, Confronts the Real World, New York Times, April 17, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/17/business/disney-politics-florida.html

?Heskett, James. As Disney Board Chair, What Would You Advise CEO Bob Chapek Regarding “Don’t Say Gay? April 4, 2022. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/what-would-you-advise-disney-ceo-bob-chapek-regarding-dont-say-gay

?Keck, Catie, Disney’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ misstep threatens to overshadow Chapek’s reign as CEO. April 11, 2022. https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/11/23016948/bob-chapek-disney-dont-say-gay-florida-lgbtqia

?Walt Disney World Statistics https://magicguides.com/disney-world-statistics/

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