If last year shed light on the inequities in our society, 2021 must be the year we “do the work” to right past wrongs. This is what I have been reflecting upon the past two weeks. It feels urgent to me, and every day we seem to be reminded of this. Especially for those of us celebrating Passover or Easter this week, this is a time for deep reflection, renewal and realignment to our purpose.
Voting rights have always been under threat, and they are center stage right now. After a period of deafening silence from corporate leaders in Georgia, Black corporate leaders pushed. We’ve seen Merck’s CEO, Ken Frazier, challenge the previous administration before. Now he’s mobilized a coalition of 70 Black executives to stand up for civil rights. One person’s leadership clearly makes a difference. We need more, visible leaders than ever before.
There is a movement afoot that puts people over planet, with a focus on justice. It centers people when talking about the planet. And it uses more public forums — social media included — to center the voice of the people to shape policy. Along the way, many of us are asking for new language to articulate the change we envision. By looking back at history, we might find the words to help us today.
“For more than two centuries our forebearers labored here without wages. They made cotton king, and they built the homes of their masters in the midst of the most humiliating and oppressive conditions. And yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to grow and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery couldn’t stop us, the opposition that we now face will surely fail.
We’re going to win our freedom because both the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of the almighty God are embodied in our echoing demands. And so, however dark it is, however deep the angry feelings are, and however violent explosions are, I can still sing "We Shall Overcome."
We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Delivered at the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., on 31 March 1968. Congressional Record, 9 April 1968
However long the arc of the moral universe actually is, impatience may be reaching new heights. It’s been 57 years since the Civil Rights Movement, 100 years since the 19th amendment granted woman’s right to vote — except not all women’s suffrage was equal, even then — and nearly 220 years since the first restrictions on immigration were put in place with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The labor required to secure human and civil rights for all has been enduring for a long time, and so we know the issues are not new.
It’s been over one year since the start of the pandemic. We have seen a variety of ways to mark this milestone, with both grief and celebration. And now this anniversary coincides with the start of the trial to bring justice for George Floyd. I haven’t watched the trial, but I read on Twitter how difficult it has been for journalists of color to relive as they report on testimony.
The arc of justice for Black lives is coming into view once again. And now there’s growing support to combat xenophobia and the staggering growth in hate crimes against our Asian sisters and brothers. We must all play a role to keep our communities safe. Joining the campaign to #StopAsianHate in solidarity is a start. Domestic terrorism may now be the biggest threat to our democracy. While government official debate these issues and introduce legislation, business leaders are being called on, once again, to step up and shape policy.
Leading an organization that puts people first might help us bridge the inequities in our society. Returning to my earlier point, I think we need new language to approach doing this work without holding on to old systems of oppression. Why? Trust is at an all-time low of all of our institutions. However, when you ask the public who should stand up for what’s right, 86% call on CEOs to lead. This dynamic astounds me.
Wealth is so powerful in our society, that we look to those same wealthy, powerful people to make decisions and act for the benefit of the rest of us. This makes sense, and yet it seems irrational. The 1%, or 10%, of society making decisions for the rest of us highlights the imbalance.
This is why I believe entrepreneurship is more important than ever. We need new power. We need more diverse decision makers. And we need people who are not only willing to act in the interests of their community, we also need courageous leaders who will marry their own self interests with that of the people.
Rising entrepreneurs are willing to do just that. They are putting people first by being more intentional about the team they hire, the money they raise, the suppliers they use, and even the customers whom they serve. I’m optimistic about the future because these ideals are coming together in a manner we’ve not seen before.
A people-first business strategy is what we might use to frame this new rising model of entrepreneurship. Some are referring to this as the next iteration of capitalism as stakeholder capitalism — a new paradigm that means companies are responsible for more than just shareholder returns. This model of business is one that values everyone, in particular those people who sacrifice their labor, resources and social capital, to help make the business successful. Perhaps, in order to imagine what we envision, it helps to put language forward about what that vision is not.
A people-first business strategy is not one driven solely by ownership, or investors. It is not impatient. It does not engage in short-term thinking. It does not pollute the air, create waste, or pay unfairly. It does not disrespect people. It does not pursue monopolistic power. It does not hoard resources or capital. It is not complicit in eroding civil and human rights.
It is patient. It takes a long-term view. It is also humanistic and deeply relational. By that I mean it takes into account what’s happening locally, thereby managing growth respectfully, ensuring that the people in new markets understand the value you bring and help you adapt your business model for the local market. And even more radically speaking, those people actually participate in the creation of the model you employ, and you share ownership interest with them. You fiercely defend the rights of every person.
It’s worth repeating: a people-first business strategy requires we continue “doing the work.” It is not an easy thing to do or figure out, and the language we use to define it seems so important right now. We must humanize business in order to change how it works.
In the same way we refer to people with a disability, we humanize them as people first. They are people who may need help with accessibility at work, or accessing our business. When we reframe our thinking with people-first language, it goes a long way to shaping the leadership mindset we need to act on our behalf. I think that’s what the people expect when they say they want business leaders to lead on social issues.
The pandemic economy has been a boon for many people in the workforce living with a disability, with remote work arrangements in place indefinitely. Imagine what the possibilities are for building an inclusive workforce, if we designed work in way that values everyone. It has the potential to not only expand our talent pools, increase productivity and sources of innovation, but it may also expand our understanding of the human condition by putting people first. That’s a future that I think is worth fighting for.
Onward, my People.
Funding Justice, Climate Change and Community
Speaking of putting people first, here’s an opportunity worth sharing with any early-stage founder you know could use a little more support and funding to get closer to realizing their dream.
The J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks to identify, support, and elevate innovators who are spearheading transformative early-stage projects in the fields of social justice, the environment, and heritage conservation.
Social Justice: Buttressing democracy, voter education, and reforms to the criminal justice and immigration systems.
The Environment: Slowing the pace of climate change and mitigating climate impacts.
Heritage Conservation: Conserving the places that communities care about most.
The J.M. Kaplan Fund will award up to ten (10) Prizes to visionary non-profit and mission-driven for-profit organizations. Each will receive a cash award of $150,000 over three years, plus $25,000 in technical assistance funds, for a total award of $175,000. Awardees receive guidance through the Fund and its resource network, providing tools and training that can help turn innovative ideas into life-changing social impacts.
Learn more and apply before April 31 here.