Ethical Leadership and Governance

Values-based businesses — and the backlash against them — can feel very of-the-moment, but the concept has been around for decades.

Sadly, purpose statements at all too many organizations are just empty words. The companies that issue them don’t live up to their lofty promises. But research by Bain & Company identified some companies that are the exceptions. They employ four methods to turn their statements into reality.

Anti-ESG sentiment led to “greenhushing” in 2023, even as the planet experienced its hottest year ever. What’s next?

Consumers are increasingly demanding businesses become more accountable, but often, the path to building a sustainable business is far from convenient.

While AI will reshape the nature of work, it will do so in a way that makes DEI both a baseline expectation and a critical requirement for companies seeking long-term growth. For that reason, businesses must focus on designing and developing AI systems that empower all their users by 1) embedding DEI into the design of your AI systems; 2) incorporating DEI into any AI-related upskilling programs; and 3) using AI as an opportunity to boost DEI.

In turbulent times, companies need a reliable anchor to guide decision-making. When organizations become moral communities, underpinned by purpose, they provide that stability for stakeholders as well as a reassuring sense of hope, solidarity, agency, and meaning. Three strategies can help. First, tell a big story about what your organization believes in and what it is trying to accomplish. Second, treat purpose as an organizing principle that guides company structure, strategy, and culture. Third, model courageous, purpose-driven leadership yourself.

ESG efforts are essential for reducing harm, but it is not the same as striving for a net positive impact.

Revenue growth is good. Profitable growth is better. Profitable growth that advances ESG priorities is best. Here’s how outperformers who actively choose growth deliver the growth trifecta.

U.S. employers are lagging at embedding sustainability into their organizations, new research shows.

As more companies amp up their reliance on cloud computing, they may overlook environmental impacts. Here's why that's a bad idea.

New BCG research uncovers the seven factors that distinguish sustainability announcements that create value from those that don’t.

With reporting requirements ramping up, businesses are under more pressure than ever to get to grips with sustainability. But who should take charge? 

The ‘resilience agenda,’ developed by the World Economic Forum with McKinsey & Company, is the first serious program to coordinate long-term solutions throughout our disrupted world.

Research examines how discussing nonmaterial and material ESG factors in companies’ earnings calls influences their overall worth.

A new book from MIT Sloan lecturer Malia C. Lazu offers managers an actionable guide to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

ESG and sustainability strategies are no longer nice to have—they are becoming central to successful business strategies.

Capital-intensive, sustainable businesses offer growth on a scale achieved by technology juggernauts of recent decades. But they face a different set of challenges. Here’s how they can overcome them.

Behaving responsibly isn’t always easy—particularly as the world continues to grapple with the ethical implications of advanced new AI solutions—but it almost always pays off in the long run.

In today’s corporate sphere, a growing disparity exists between companies’ declared values and their actions, leading to stakeholder skepticism. This divide prompts discussions about the feasibility of genuine societal contributions within capitalist frameworks.

Successfully adopting ESG programs in the company requires a well-defined strategy and holistic company involvement.

The vast need for climate technology will create opportunity. These five technology areas could offer $2 trillion of investment potential by 2025.

Done right, ESG can be a powerful positive force for organizations that strive to advance it and for the world in which we live. A well-conceived social transformation prepares a business for long-term growth, engaging the support of management, employees, investors, and customers.

Exponential growth has been key to technology’s progress. The same is needed for climate action.

5 key areas CIOs can utilize to drive the sustainability of technology

The number of companies appointing a chief sustainability officer has grown significantly over the last few years. Due to the novelty of the role, the CSO’s actual responsibilities and tasks are still vague. It’s critical for executives and boards to ensure that the CSO’s role is balanced among all three elements of ESG. The authors present a CSO’s eight distinct tasks and a visual framework to ensure that each one gets the level of effort it needs.