Social Impact Leadership: Walking The Talk In 2025
Employees, consumers, and investors will soon start demanding proof of social impact. Performative efforts from businesses will no longer be tolerated and walking the talk will become non-negotiable.
The social and environmental implications of this year’s political reversal of power have already started to take effect. “In January 2023 three out of four leaders would have said their companies were supportive of DEI,” said Daryl Brewster of CEO Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP) “A year later, it was one out of four, and three out of four were saying, my number one job is explaining what this is all about, and how it relates to the business.”
The election campaign of former President Donald Trump was a de facto referendum against DEI and ESG. During the campaign, corporations including Walmart, Boeing, Ford, and Lowe’s, announced plans to scrap or step back from DEI-related initiatives. BlackRock, the world’s largest investment firm, significantly reduced its support for shareholder proposals addressing environmental and social issues. Project 2025 calls for an end to American climate leadership on the international stage. Businesses have faced relentless scrutiny over their inability to translate social and environmental commitments into tangible outcomes.
Research during 2024 revealed the gap between corporate intentions and social impact. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, 63% of respondents believe businesses are failing to deliver on their social impact promises. Over seven in ten employees surveyed believe that there is a gap between what their company says about social responsibility and how their company behaves, according to Accelerating a Just Transition, a new report from Globescan and Ashoka.
Despite what many people predict will be a pullback on progressive social change, some corporate and civil society leaders believe this is the beginning of a new era for business and social impact. One that is characterized by companies taking meaningful action to improve the lives of employees and citizens. “What’s coming is an opportunity for us to innovate in the CSR, ESG and DEI space because this is the first time we’ve really been pressure tested, challenged in our thinking about something that affects so many people,” said Muneer Panjwani, CEO of Engage for Good.
To get an informed perspective on what the future will look like for business and social impact, I turned to Brewster, Panjwani, Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, and Dave Stover, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s. The collective perspective of these leaders contributed to 10 priorities that can help more companies walk the talk and become social impact leaders.
Enshrine Social Impact Into Your Purpose
“When a company becomes legally accountable to its stakeholders—workers, communities, customers, suppliers and the environment—’walking the talk’ becomes a default. Our work on the B Corp Impact Assessment helped us identify our strengths and blind spots and ensured thoroughness when looking at how we operate as a business,” said Gellert. Walking the talk also means bringing social impact into every aspect of businesses including employee engagement, supply chains, how products are developed and the materials that are being used. Panjwani believes companies need to be smarter about integrating social impact into their business and gave the example of Macy’s Mission Every One approach as an example of a company that involves every leader and employee in social impact.
Adopt A Universal Approach To Social Impact
In today’s highly polarized context, employees and consumers have taken opposing sides with respect to how specific populations have been prioritized over others. “We’re entering a moment where people are being questioned on their social impact work,” said Panjwani. He recommends continuing the work but reframing it with accuracy and honesty that includes all people. “One of the ways people feel excluded is when they feel like their identity and lived experience doesn’t matter,” said Panjwani. “We need to address areas that are priorities for all political sides such as taking care of your workers, having a safe place to work, and being paid a fair wage,” said Brewster.
Listen To The Social Impact Priorities Of Employees
There are 14 million employees across CECP’s member companies. According to Brewser, listening is one of the hardest things for them to do and also an opportunity to walk the talk. “You have that workforce at your fingertips, listen to them, you have employee resource groups, you have these tools at your disposal, listen to your customers, just get a better sense of what the need is,” said Brewster. He believes that now is the time for leaders to engage and support their employees because they “may not find people on the other side of this, or if they do, they’re going to be even more expensive.”
Use Social Impact Language That Everyone Understands
Businesses need guidance on how to talk about what they’re doing in real world human terms that can unite people. “What words can be used across your business and with your customers, so they understand what you’re doing, and how you’re authentically showing up,” said Brewster. “Talk about clean air, talk about reducing your insurance costs, talk about real things that people can understand and have the same thing happen around diversity.” Panjwani observes that there’s a communications problem and companies are unsure of the story they should be telling. “DEI work has been framed in a very specific way and I think it’s time that we evolved that. To create a broader framing that allows practices to stay as they are, without being called DEI, but focused on their core purpose which is equity-deserving communities.”
Support Grassroots Social Impact Groups
Partnering with nonprofit organizations can help advance social impact.“A simple way of ensuring your donations are going to vetted organizations is joining a group like 1% for the Planet. Individuals can also visit Patagonia Action Works, our tool to connect people with environmental organizations acting on the most pressing issues facing the world today,” said Gellert. “Whenever corporations work with a non-profit partner their brand reputation benefits because they get access to the organization’s knowledge, network and the communities that they serve,” said Panjwani.
Back Renewable Energy
Gellert believes there are three paths to consider. “First, businesses can work to add solar and wind energy into your power mix. Secondly, you can also take a deeper look into your company’s finances using tools like the Carbon Bankroll to ensure your financial institutions aren’t funding extractive industries and cash flowing the climate crisis. Lastly, put your support behind local, state and federal public policy that advances renewable energy.”
Recognize what Regulation Means In The Long Run
Gellert also believes that we are facing an era of deregulation that’s likely to sacrifice the planet’s long-term welfare for short-term profit. “We have the choice as business leaders to act on the planet’s behalf and keep to our environmental commitments whether the government mandates it or not,” said Gellert. “As businesses, we have a voice both in our action and through lobbying to show solidarity in our support for the planet.”
Use Data To Demonstrate Social Impact
It’s also important to move away from anecdotal stories and use data to prove that the business has improved. “For example, if your company is focused on fair hiring practices and equity for employees the benefits are easily quantified,” said Panjwani. “Diverse representation in companies leads to more innovation, more creativity, and improved retention.” Companies can use frameworks from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) that offer standardized metrics for evaluating performance. AI is also creating new opportunities for companies to track progress in real-time and share insights with stakeholders.
Prioritize Social Impact Over Disclosure
Disclosure is important, and has become a requirement in many industries and jurisdictions, but it doesn’t necessarily result in social impact. “In fact, it may get in the way If it takes staff away from actually implementing the programs,” said Brewster. “Some companies will just pay the fine if it’s less expensive than doing the work. Or move people who are actually doing the work to just reporting on what they’re doing.” Walking the talk means prioritizing doing over disclosing.
Co-Create Social Impact
I believe one of the most authentic ways to walk the talk is by involving stakeholders, including people with lived experience, in determining what issues to focus on and how to take action. Co-creating innovative solutions with customers, employees, and community partners ensures that initiatives are relevant and impactful. For example, IKEA’s “Better Living” initiatives involve collaborating with local communities to promote sustainable living practices while driving product innovation.
Dave Stever, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s shared his plans for how the company will be walking the talk in 2025. They embody the priorities outlined above.
“To remain vigilant to our values at Ben & Jerry’s, we must embed them into every fiber of our operations and supply chain—standing unapologetically for equity, climate justice, and human rights. In the current political climate, there is increased pressure for businesses to temper their voices, but it is precisely in these moments that our voices matter most. Staying true to our principles means fostering transparency, amplifying marginalized voices, and aligning our business practices and 3-part mission with the change we want to see. At the heart of this commitment is courage—courage to take risks, to challenge systemic inequities, and to innovate not just for growth but for good.”
I’ve spent 25 years urging major corporations to have meaningful social impact and the results of this work are not nearly good enough. Despite a clear business case for social impact, very few corporations have gone beyond trying to get noticed for doing the bare minimum. This won’t fly anymore. CSR, DEI, and ESG became obsolete in 2024 and there is a new imperative for businesses: to prioritize social impact over greenwashing and social washing and to demonstrate authentic action by walking the talk.
“As business leaders, we need to recognize that the climate crisis shouldn’t be minimized into a marketing opportunity,” said Gellert. “So how do we “walk the talk” in business when it comes to societal issues and environmental responsibility? Commit and take a step forward.”
“As we navigate 2025, a year charged with political and social currents, companies must commit to being more than profit-driven entities; we must be stewards of progress,” said Stever.
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