The CEO Activist

1What Is an Activist CEO?

When we hear the word “activist”, we are often faced with images of rebellion or controversy. That's not what we are talking about here.

Activist CEOs are simply leaders who want to support, include, and lead from the front an organisation which is full of employees who can bring their whole, true, authentic selves to work. They know inclusive and diverse workplaces lead to economic success and want to make their world a better place now and in the future.

They are allies and they are beacons.

And they are a key part in the fight for equity in the workplace.

Until recently, CEOs, I feel, have had a bad rap. You, I'm sure, will remember the statistic from 2019 that stated then there “were more chief executives called Steve in the FTSE 100 than there were from a minority ethnic group”. We hear constant rebukes and snide comments about the stereotypical CEO being “male, pale, and stale”.

Don't get me wrong. We know more opportunities for non-white, non-male leaders need to be found, and I'll explain later why the boardroom needs to look very different if organisations want to survive.

However, I also feel it's lazy, rude, dismissive, and, dare I say it, far from inclusive, to overlook the contribution of such men and what they have to offer. We need to understand these are allies – some may already be doing great things for the cause, some may just not know where to start.

But no matter where you stand on this, there is no question that the role of the ...