Managing Political Misfits

When CEOs weigh the decision to speak out on a hot-button issue, they tend to focus on how their words and actions might affect brand reputation and customer behavior. But an equally significant question is how CEO activism affects employees. If the stance a leader takes leaves key employees feeling angry or disengaged — or if it provokes them to start looking for another job — the business effects may well be severe. For example, after Delta ended a discount for NRA members in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the effect of his action on employees. “Our people and our customers have a wide range of views…and we are not taking sides,” he wrote in a companywide memo, explaining that the decision was meant to distance Delta from the issue. “I know it is not comfortable to be caught in a highly emotional debate.”