Business in the heat of expectation. Are leaders ready for a new era of accountability?
The pressure on business leaders has never been greater than today. On the one hand, shareholder expectations and financial results, and on the other – the growing demands of employees, consumers and public opinion. In the world of social media, “cancel culture” and instant image crises, every decision of the management board becomes a declaration of values.
Is the modern CEO still only a manager or also a philosopher and mediator?
This is one of the topics that will be at the center of the 18th European Economic Congress (April 22-24 in Katowice). Registration for the event is ongoing. As part of the “Man, development, balance” path, the discussion will go far beyond the classic understanding of HR or CSR.
One of the most specific challenges are new regulations. The Women on Boards Directive introduces obligations regarding the participation of women on supervisory boards of listed companies. Remuneration transparency and diversity reporting within ESG and CSRD are no longer an element of image, they are becoming a legal requirement. At the same time, business is faced with the question of whether quotas and regulations actually change organizational culture or just statistics.
Diversity is not an ideological topic today, but a managerial one. Research shows its impact on innovation and financial results, but practice reveals barriers – glass ceiling, pay inequalities, stereotypes, lack of flexible work models. There is also more and more talk about the role of men in building equality and solutions supporting combining parenthood with a professional career.
At the same time, companies face demographic challenges. An aging society means the need to manage multigenerational teams. Knowledge transfer, counteracting age discrimination, adapting workplaces and using technologies supporting longer professional activity become an element of the strategy, not an addition to it. Age management is beginning to be perceived as part of ESG policy and corporate responsibility towards the labor market.
In the background of these changes, a fundamental question arises: is corporate responsibility a lasting trend or a passing fad? In times of geopolitical and economic tensions, some companies show fatigue with excessive regulations and reporting. Others treat responsibility as an element of competitive advantage and building trust.
As Wojciech Kuśpik, initiator of the European Economic Congress, emphasizes, “dialogue is the most effective and responsible way to build lasting solutions.” When it comes to issues of equality, leadership and the social role of business, conversation is not an addition to the strategy – it becomes part of it.
Today’s leader can no longer limit himself to performance management. He must be able to navigate in the world of value disputes, generational differences and changing social expectations. The question is not whether business should engage in social issues, but how to do it responsibly and in a sustainable way.
In April, Katowice will become a place where these tensions will be named directly – without simplifications and without resorting to slogans.
