“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with, in an emergency.” — Rebecca Solnit
Martin Whittaker at Just Capital shared this data this summer:
“…here’s [a] number from our polling you can celebrate: 80% of Americans believe business can be a force for positive change. I’ll throw this in too for good measure: an overwhelming 89% agree it’s important that companies help build an economy that serves all Americans. Is America divided? Not when it comes to our hopes and dreams for American capitalism.” [emphasis mine]
I find the stat surprising, given the Edelman Trust data that puts trust in the private sector at about 60%. Yes, that’s higher than trust in some other institutions, namely government, but barely a passing grade.
At a minimum, Martin’s survey reflects our desire, and hope, for the best from business; yes, indeed, business CAN be a force for change.
Lessons in Leadership
In the Lessons in Leadership Q&A series about change agents from our fellowship programs, we amplify the work of executives in corporations so large and influential that when you move the needle, you likely have unlocked systemic change, given the impacts on suppliers and producers and through an extended supply chain. The examples are numerous.
This one is a go-to for me:
Eric Myers of WM (formerly Waste Management) hails from a massive enterprise with an extensive footprint across America. When Eric made the decision to leave a community-based organics recycler in the Northeast to go work for a big waste company, his colleagues scoffed at his decision. Sixteen-plus years into his bold bet, WM is positioned to bring the recycling of organic material (food and yard waste) into counties and cities across the country.
In fact, my building in NYC and many apartment buildings across the city are now required to compost. That waste can be repurposed into soil amendments, fuel, and other productive uses, reducing methane from the landfill and creating a sustainable value stream for the company.
It’s about as close to a win-win as exists – and an example of how hope and ambition empower action.
Like most endeavors of this scale, the process of building out WM’s internal capabilities to realize this sustainable vision was complicated and required a dedicated, flexible, and persistent team. Eric shares his thoughts on leadership and what it takes to make this sort of project a reality here. I love the story he weaves, and what he has learned over his career.
Looking Ahead
Climate Week will generate enough energy this coming week in New York to power the grid. The theme is execution and the organizers frame it this way: “The challenge now is not ambition, but implementation. Progress is being slowed down by outdated regulation, infrastructure constraints and misaligned markets. The priority is to remove these barriers and deliver change at speed and scale.”
What will it take to meet the organizers’ goals: “accelerate progress, close the gaps, and move from commitment to delivery”?
At Aspen, we work across these barriers, and we also support many like Eric who have the leadership chops and vision to make positive change from inside companies. Our fellowship programs are designed for peer learning, and to build the skills and staying power to succeed as an intrapreneur. It’s different than the skill set of entrepreneurs: when you work within an existing strategy and operating system, you need to adapt to the prevailing narrative and override resistance to change; the CFO is the key to capital allocation. You are playing a different game.
It’s exciting work, and you can learn more, and nominate fellow travelers (or yourself!) to either the First Movers Fellowship or Economic Mobility Fellowship. We are recruiting now for participants who will begin their fellowship year in the summer of 2027.
Reflecting On Hope…
It’s worth watching the Famous Last Words of Gloria Steinem, a woman who really made it happen. Thank you Netflix.
Or, consider this passage from journalist and social activist Dorothy Day:
“People say, what is the sense of our small effort? They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time. A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that. No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There is too much work to do.” — Dorothy Day
L’Shana Tova—to a year of new beginnings for all!
This blog post was originally published on LinkedIn. Follow Judy Samuelson for more insights on business and society.
