Playing the Disney fiddle while Rome burns

As I’ve written before, it is a leadership mistake for CEOs to assume they can stay out of politics and remained unscathed—one that Disney CEO Bob Chapek is currently making.

Corporations, for better or worse, are some of the largest voices we have in society because of their influence and the contributions they make to politicians. Disney is being called out for giving to both sides of the aisle, while remaining silent on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Chapek’s response to the company not issuing a statement:

As we have seen time and again, corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds. Instead, they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame. Simply put, they can be counterproductive and undermine more effective ways to achieve change.

Frankly, this is bullshit. Of course any statement taking a stand is weaponized. Any time anyone takes a stand on something worth fighting for it is going to be attacked. The decision not to say anything is a political decision, a vote for the status quo.

Corporate statements may seem futile in the face of entrenched social fights, but they send a strong signal to the world—and especially employees—about what the company believes is right. They may seem unimportant on their own, but together with other persuasive media, they can play a part in changing people’s minds.

Chapek goes on to say that Disney’s content should speak for itself about the company’s values:

Encanto, Black Panther, Pose, Reservation Dogs, Coco, Soul, Modern Family, Shang-Chi, Summer of Soul, Love, Victor. These and all of our diverse stories are our corporate statements—and they are more powerful than any tweet or lobbying effort.

This is the corporate equivalent of “But I have a gay friend!” Of course powerful storytelling matters over the long run. But if Chapek thinks Disney can remain silent on controversial issues that are happening now in his backyard, he is playing the fiddle while Rome burns.

This year’s Edelman Trust Barometer research made it clear that employees and customers expect societal leadership from CEOs. They want business leaders to stand up for what is right, and sometimes that means stepping into relevant political debates in ways that will make risk-averse executives uncomfortable.

The separation between business and politics has always been an illusion, as corporate donations make clear. What is new now is that we have real-time information and can apply real-time public pressure on leaders to do the right thing. And the credit, as Teddy would say, will go to those in the arena, actually standing up for what they say their company believes in.