Should Business Leaders Get Political? A Framework for Speaking Up

About this episode

This episode discusses the dilemma business leaders face regarding whether to speak up on political and social issues.

When something bad happens in the world, every business leader has a difficult decision to make - the decision to speak up, or to stay silent. In the past, silence was the safest option - today, that’s no longer the case. In such a chaotic world full of conflict, inequality, and political polarization, it’s never been more important to get this question right. In this episode of The ONE Thing Podcast, Jay Papasan tackles the modern leader's biggest dilemma: The choice to speak up. Whether it's a global crisis, a political movement, or social turmoil, the pressure to "say something" is at an all-time high. To find the answer, Jay sits down with four world-class experts - Donald Miller, Phil M. Jones, Julia Lashay Israel, and Valorie Burton - to build a definitive framework for navigating public conflict carefully and intentionally. This episode is not about telling you what to think. It is about helping you make a wiser decision, one that aligns with your values, your responsibilities, and the impact your voice can have. Challenge of the Week: The next time you feel the urge to immediately post, react, or speak out, pause first and get curious. Ask what else you need to understand…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Papasan

Guests: Donald Miller, Phil M. Jones, Julia Lashay Israel, Valorie Burton

Topics covered

• business leadership
• political engagement
• decision making
• social responsibility
• public speaking
• conflict resolution

Keywords

• business leaders
• speak up
• political polarization
• social turmoil
• framework
• decision making
• public conflict

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