Making Business Better
Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison gave Ellen McGirt and me a scoop this week: He's creating a new competition with Shark Tank investor Daymond John designed to give small, minority-owned businesses an opportunity to sell their products on the shelves of Lowe's. You can hear more about it in this week's installment of Leadership Next.
The new Lowe's program, on its own, may not change the world. But it is an example of something Ellen and I are hearing more and more of these days. For a variety of reasons, some of the best CEOs are spending their time and energy focusing on "social" problems -- problems that a decade or two ago might have been considered the domain of government, not business. Today, government seems endlessly stymied by partisan squabbles. But business leaders are practical problem solvers, and increasingly, think big social problems -- like climate change, inequality of opportunity, systemically-embedded racial discrimination -- deserve their attention.
That's a big part of the reason why Fortune today is announcing a new membership community -- Fortune CONNECT -- created for mid-career professionals who are on the executive track, rising fast, and leadership bound. We believe business is changing… for the better. The change may not go as far as some would like, or as fast. But change is happening, driven by the demands of employees, customers, investors and the world at large. Society is making it clear that business has to do better, or risk losing its license to operate. And business leaders are responding.
Fortune CONNECT is designed to help the next generation of leaders prepare for this change. We provide weekly programming allowing Fortune CONNECT fellows to interact with the leaders at the frontiers of business change, with a special focus on purpose-driven business, stakeholder capitalism and inclusive leadership. Our Knowledge Partners in this effort include Accenture, Genpact, IBM, Salesforce, and Workday.
Interested in learning more? You can visit our website, or message Ellen or me directly on LinkedIn. (In addition to being podcast cohost, Ellen is the editorial director for Fortune CONNECT.) This is an important moment for business. The future depends on us all getting this right. We hope you will join in. And while you are at it, subscribe to Leadership Next.
*Businessman and philanthropist*
4 年Enjoyed listening to you earlier today during the UN event. Thanks for sharing your insight Alan. lol..Also, I'm a millennial who joined Rotary and the benefits have been unlimited for me. Wish other's my age could join such organisations to better understand our world and pick inspiration to take the SDG's more seriously as we also develop ourselves.
President, WSJ Leadership Institute
4 年Thanks, all, for these words of support.
Ever curious lifelong learner. Writing is living.Copywriter ? Content Marketer ? Lead Generation ? Talent Acquisition?
4 年This is amazing!!
DEPUTY SECRETARY, Govt of India MA LLM,Hon. Phd& LLD PGDs CL, PI&P, IL&D, Parlt Fello The TOP Person & SDG Ambassadors
4 年Alan Murray Sir Thanks for sharing