Ethical Leadership

This week, we saw some powerful numbers that support the investment case for just business leadership. 

“America’s political class was in the final stages of self-righteous detachment from the economic and social conditions of the nation it ruled.” So writes Oren Cass, Chief Economist at American Compass, in a NYT op-ed this week.

Americans’ chief priorities remain firmly centered on pay, jobs, and economic security. The debates and discussions around corporations’ role in society continue, but have become markedly less heated and divisive, and more private, measured and–dare I say–meaningful

This week’s call by the U.S. Surgeon General for tobacco-style warning labels on social media products is the latest chapter in one of the defining corporate justness narratives of our time: the impact of social media on the mental health of children and teens. 

Nine years of polling has shown that paid leave policies are a key way for companies to differentiate themselves as a JUST employer. Here are some of the most unique paid leave policies companies are implementing, and the results for their employees and their business.

June can be a tricky month for corporate leaders. Between Pride, Juneteenth and Father’s Day, there’s a lot for companies to stake out a position on, support, or – in an era of backlash – potentially stay silent on.

Hi – it’s Alison Omens, President of JUST Capital, filling in for Martin with a dispatch this week from Washington D.C., where JUST Capital’s media partner, CNBC, hosted their second annual CEO Council Summit. Given our location and the upcoming election, much of the conversation centered on how CEOs can navigate the political environment to lead in transitional and turbulent times.

We sat down with the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of WorldQuant to discuss the benefits and dangers of predictive AI for America’s business leaders and workers.

We often dwell on the possible negative societal impacts of AI when we contemplate its future – instinctive fear of the unknown perhaps – but there are also some clear and very immediate positive applications. 

In the early 2000s, I was fortunate enough to be involved in some of the initial groundbreaking work that brought climate risks forward to the global investor community as a matter of significant financial relevance. This feels similar, but even more urgent.

With the rapid growth and deployment of generative AI, the consumer component of our stakeholder model – particularly in areas like data privacy, product benefit and harm, and customer treatment – is only going to grow in importance in the future. Here’s why.

“One of the sayings we have at the company is ‘you have to win the right way.'”

JUST 100 Leader Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri joined JUST Capital co-founder Paul Tudor Jones, alongside other executives, to discuss corporate leadership on just business behavior.

Discover which companies are leading on the issues that matter most to Americans today. In 2024, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) leads the JUST 100 for the first time.

“Our job is to create value and my measure of value is not just shareholder value. Ultimately, stock price is a reflection of how you do things and what you deliver. One of the sayings we have at the company is ‘you have to win the right way.’”

Each year, we factor into our Rankings a variety of events deemed materially detrimental to a company’s just business behavior. This year, ten companies received a unique event treatment.

As part of its 2024 Rankings, JUST Capital is proud to present its list of Industry leaders, or companies that receive the highest overall rank within each of our 36 industries. 

“Rebuilding Trust” is the official theme of this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos. Trust in what?

“If the business community isn’t out there telling the real story — the American story — of opportunity and progress in this country, then no one should be surprised when people believe it’s as bad as the headlines and the political ads say it is.”

How does the world address climate change while safeguarding economies, acknowledging disparities, protecting worker well-being and jobs, meeting consumer needs, and supporting communities?

This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a challenge to the bankruptcy deal meant to compensate victims of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin and shield Purdue Pharma’s owners, the Sackler family, from liability.

Between forces motivated to ensure AI benefits society, and those who view AI through a purely commercial lens.

Two moments this week reminded me why JUST’s mission matters so much to the bigger macroeconomic situation we find ourselves in.  

As companies increasingly adopt AI tools, how can they ensure these technologies align with the priorities of the public and benefit all stakeholders? The Just AI Initiative aims to shed light on this critical question.

How should companies respond to global tragedies, wars, and acts of mass terrorism? Should business leaders speak out in internal emails to employees? To the public? If so, when? And what should they say?