Corporate America is growing tired of being held accountable for gun regulation, with top executives feeling frustrated that they've been expected to be the sole advocates on this critical issue.
Their previous efforts haven't yielded much in terms of progress on gun control legislation. With over 1,000 companies having already pledged to cut ties with Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, it's becoming clear that CEOs are waiting for others to join them in speaking out on issues such as voting rights and immigration reform.
"We've taken a very strong stance and we've gone out further than the general public," said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who runs the Chief Executive Leadership Institute. "But we need the rest of civil society to join us. Social capital is as valuable as financial capital."
CEOs have long been vocal on gun control issues, with nearly 150 major companies calling for stricter regulations in 2019 and again this past summer. However, despite their efforts, there's a growing sense that corporate America is not doing enough to push the needle on this critical issue.
The lack of action from CEOs has left many feeling frustrated and helpless, particularly after the latest mass school shooting in Nashville. With social change often being driven by grassroots activism and interfaith activity, it's clear that CEOs are waiting for others to take up the mantle.
While it's true that CEOs have significant influence when it comes to donating to politicians, this is no longer the case. Since the 2020 elections, much less campaign contributions from big business have come in, and many businesses have either taken an official moratorium on donations or given mere pennies to politicians.
The latest earnings report from Tesla highlights the challenges faced by even some of the most influential CEOs in America. Despite a modest 4% rise in sales for the company in the first quarter, it's clear that demand is not as strong as previously thought.
CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that talk of strong demand was "backed up" by figures, but the actual numbers tell a different story. Over the last 12 months, Tesla has produced 78,000 more cars than it has sold, suggesting that even some of the most influential CEOs in America are struggling to drive change on critical issues like gun control.
As social capital becomes increasingly valuable alongside financial capital, it's clear that CEOs need to step up their efforts and work with others to drive real change. Until then, they risk being seen as out of touch and ineffective, particularly when it comes to issues that affect millions of Americans every day.
Their previous efforts haven't yielded much in terms of progress on gun control legislation. With over 1,000 companies having already pledged to cut ties with Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine, it's becoming clear that CEOs are waiting for others to join them in speaking out on issues such as voting rights and immigration reform.
"We've taken a very strong stance and we've gone out further than the general public," said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor who runs the Chief Executive Leadership Institute. "But we need the rest of civil society to join us. Social capital is as valuable as financial capital."
CEOs have long been vocal on gun control issues, with nearly 150 major companies calling for stricter regulations in 2019 and again this past summer. However, despite their efforts, there's a growing sense that corporate America is not doing enough to push the needle on this critical issue.
The lack of action from CEOs has left many feeling frustrated and helpless, particularly after the latest mass school shooting in Nashville. With social change often being driven by grassroots activism and interfaith activity, it's clear that CEOs are waiting for others to take up the mantle.
While it's true that CEOs have significant influence when it comes to donating to politicians, this is no longer the case. Since the 2020 elections, much less campaign contributions from big business have come in, and many businesses have either taken an official moratorium on donations or given mere pennies to politicians.
The latest earnings report from Tesla highlights the challenges faced by even some of the most influential CEOs in America. Despite a modest 4% rise in sales for the company in the first quarter, it's clear that demand is not as strong as previously thought.
CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that talk of strong demand was "backed up" by figures, but the actual numbers tell a different story. Over the last 12 months, Tesla has produced 78,000 more cars than it has sold, suggesting that even some of the most influential CEOs in America are struggling to drive change on critical issues like gun control.
As social capital becomes increasingly valuable alongside financial capital, it's clear that CEOs need to step up their efforts and work with others to drive real change. Until then, they risk being seen as out of touch and ineffective, particularly when it comes to issues that affect millions of Americans every day.
. Like, 2019 was already over a year ago... shouldn't they've been doing more by then? 
It's not like they're waiting for everyone else to join in, it's just that they need to step up their own game if you ask me 
. And yeah, social capital being valuable is all well and good, but what about actual action? 
I mean, they've already taken a big step by speaking out in 2019, but now we're at like 150 companies and still nothing major happens 
Elon Musk is literally struggling to sell Tesla cars despite having a huge budget 
And let's not forget about all those companies that are already cutting ties with Russia because it's the right thing to do 
We need more CEOs like that and less ones who just sit on the sidelines 
Social change can't happen without us working together, and I wish our corporate leaders would get on board ASAP 
that corporate America is not doing enough to push for gun control legislation. I mean, we've had major companies like Tesla, where Elon Musk is like a total genius 
, but even he can't drive change on this issue. It's all about social capital now, right? And if CEOs don't start stepping up their efforts, they're just gonna be seen as out of touch and ineffective 
. I think it's time for them to stop waiting around for others to join in and take action themselves 
. And can we talk about how weird it is that CEOs are worried about being seen as out of touch instead of actually doing something about it? 
. And what's with the notion that CEOs need others to "join" them in speaking out on issues? Like they're waiting for permission or something? That's not how change happens 
. And let's be real, when it comes down to it, CEOs are still just looking out for their own bottom line 
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. Companies are all about the benjamins, but can't seem to put their money where their mouth is 
. Newsflash: it takes more than just empty words to drive real change 
THEY THINK THEY CAN JUST WAIT FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO GET ON BOARD AND THEN JUST CHILL WHILE PEOPLE KEEP SHOOTING UP THEIR NEIGHBORS' CHILDREN!!!! 
AND BY THE WAY CAN WE GET SOME ACTION FROM THESE BIG COMPANIES ALREADY??? 
. They're feeling frustrated but I think they should be doing more than just talking the talk. As someone who's been around for a while, I've seen how powerful social change can be when people come together and demand it. We need CEOs to use their influence not just to donate to politicians or make empty statements, but to actually get things done 
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. With all these big companies taking a stance against Russia, its like they're waiting for others to join in on other issues too 
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. And honestly, it's kinda surprising that CEOs are still feeling frustrated about this issue - I mean, didn't they get the memo that guns aren't cool anymore? 
. And it's not like they're going to get away with just donating pennies to politicians anymore... 