- In today’s CEO Daily: Diane Brady reports on what CEOs are saying at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
- The big leadership story: ‘RAM-ageddon’ is here.
- The markets: Mixed globally, as the tenuous U.S.-Iran peace deal keeps investors on edge.
- Plus: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.
Good morning. American competitiveness has long been a triumph of the moderate, won by those who could find common ground with policymakers to get things done. Some taxes but not too much. Clear rules that protect without stifling innovation. Knowing when to speak up or shut up, appealing to common values among multiple stakeholders. I’m at the Aspen Ideas Festival this week, where there’s a lot of debate about how business can help create that common ground.
Right now, silence from CEOs on business issues is making it easier for politicians to present a vision that’s more black and white. I tried to get New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to speak at a CEO dinner earlier this year, but one of his advisors told me that visibly engaging with CEOs wasn’t a priority at that point. For a Democratic Socialist who’s critical of capitalism and proving to be a kingmaker at the national level, it might even be a bad look. (Mamdani has since met with CEOs like JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon behind closed doors.) And pressure from the far right, most notably in Washington, has made CEOs reluctant to speak out on issues like climate change, diversity, ethics, immigration and mission-critical issues that might put a target on their backs.
But there are ways for CEOs to reclaim the narrative. Here are three strategies being discussed at Aspen that I’m seeing put into action:
Speak to the middle. Dan Smoot, CEO of the space-based intelligence firm Vantor, believes “most people are right down the middle,” as are many politicians. “It used to be that being a moderate was the most valuable thing we could do, because that was how we got things done.” Much like Dimon’s offer to help Mamdani create pragmatic policies, Smoot argues “that industry needs to be working with the government, because we’re moving so fast that we might be leaving them behind.”
Have clear, consistent values. Costco CEO Ron Vachris speaks about creating equal opportunities for employees, and it’s one reason the company is doing well. That could mean redefining labels like DEI and ESG to talk about the outcome you’re trying to achieve. In Aspen, Southern Company CEO Chris Womack talked about clean energy as key to an affordable, sustainable and resilient power grid for innovation.
Reshape the jobs debate. Ferrovial CEO Ignacio Madridejos, whose company makes the bulk of its $10.9 billion a year from U.S. projects like Texas toll roads and JFK’s Terminal 1, is facing a labor and skills shortage. “There are not enough students joining our sector,” he told me. Barbara Humpton of USA Rare Earth has told me the same thing, as have others in manufacturing and health care. They could help public-private initiatives like RAISE US create a truly future-ready workforce. And if you plan to reap the benefits of AI, invest in preparing people for it. Walmart just told its 2.1 million workers that AI tools will improve their jobs—and it’s offering every U.S. employee a chance to become certified to use them. Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at [email protected]
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