Sometimes It's Bravest to Not Take a Stand
Fortune US|December 2023 - January 2024
In a divided, violent world, leaders' humility, willingness to listen, and core values are what matter most.
PETER VANHAM
Sometimes It's Bravest to Not Take a Stand

"Our strength is the respect we have for each other." "We are one firm, one community." "We stand united against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and acts of hatred in any form."

These days, such run-of-the-mill corporate nods to diversity, equity, and inclusion might elicit an eye roll from a cynical employee. They can read like a kind of throat-clearing, a prelude to a bland memo that manages to be both verbose and grandiloquent - while saying nothing at all.

But when Citigroup's CEO Jane Fraser and her team described her company's values this way in a statement on Oct. 22, it was not a run-of-the-mill situation.

It had been just two weeks since the Hamas incursion into Israel - the brutal murder of 1,200 people and kidnapping of 240. The violence was multiplying, and by mid-November, the Israeli bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip had killed an estimated 11,240, including 4,630 children, according to the Hamas-controlled government. Hundreds of thousands of homes had been destroyed, and millions of people displaced. Refugee camps and ambulances had been hit by missiles. Countries around the world and international organizations were angrily condemning one side or the other. In the U.S. there were marches of solidarity and protest. Social media had become a sea of outrage and recriminations. Rifts were forming between friends and family members.

Those stark divisions were as evident at work as they were anywhere else-especially at multinational companies such as Citigroup, where employees trying to do their jobs dwelled in grief, worry, and loss, as well as anger.

And in a moment that Fraser correctly called "gut-wrenching," her basic affirmations of core values-compassion, respect, humanity, and unitylanded differently. They took on a certain power, especially when paired with pledges of financial support to humanitarian relief organizations.

Denne historien er fra December 2023 - January 2024-utgaven av Fortune US.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 2023 - January 2024-utgaven av Fortune US.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA FORTUNE USSe alt
KKR'S $1 TRILLION GAMBLE
Fortune US

KKR'S $1 TRILLION GAMBLE

The co-CEOs of KKR have a radical strategy to supercharge growth - and chart a path far different from that of their mentors, Henry Kravis and George Roberts.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
THE SHIPWRECKED LEGACY OF MIKE LYNCH
Fortune US

THE SHIPWRECKED LEGACY OF MIKE LYNCH

THE BRITISH TECH MOGUL SOLD HIS COMPANY FOR $11 BILLION, THEN SPENT YEARS FIGHTING FRAUD CHARGES. HIS SHOCKING DEATH HAS LEFT MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS LIFE.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
FORTUNE - CHANGE THE WORLD
Fortune US

FORTUNE - CHANGE THE WORLD

THESE COMPANIES BUILD BUSINESSES AROUND SOLVING SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND THEY DO WELL BY DOING GOOD.

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024
Can Cathy Engelbert Handle the Pressure?
Fortune US

Can Cathy Engelbert Handle the Pressure?

The WNBA commissioner and ex-Deloitte CEO is leading the league through a season of historic highs, but critics wonder if her game plan is good enough to seize the moment.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
Kamalanomics: Harris's Road Map for Business
Fortune US

Kamalanomics: Harris's Road Map for Business

Vice President Kamala Harris hasn't done much to woo Big Business. Many executives would still rather take their chances with her than the alternative.

time-read
8 mins  |
October - November 2024
Mary Barra
Fortune US

Mary Barra

The CEO of General Motors accelerates into our top spot.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October - November 2024
MPW - MOST POWERFUL WOMEN 2024
Fortune US

MPW - MOST POWERFUL WOMEN 2024

WHEN FORTUNE launched its Most Powerful Women list in 1998, women were just starting to trickle into the C-suite in significant numbers.

time-read
5 mins  |
October - November 2024
WHO HAS TIME FOR A POWER LUNCH? THE REAL BUSINESS HAPPENS AT 4 P.M. 'POWER HOUR.'
Fortune US

WHO HAS TIME FOR A POWER LUNCH? THE REAL BUSINESS HAPPENS AT 4 P.M. 'POWER HOUR.'

THE SUN is pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows when the bar begins to fill with bespoke suits on a Tuesday in August at Four Twenty Five. The new restaurant from Jean-Georges Vongerichten is on the first floor of a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper, beneath the offices of financial giant Citadel Securities. And the traders are thirsty.

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024
HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FED'S BIG RATE CUT
Fortune US

HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FED'S BIG RATE CUT

THE WAIT IS OVER. After more than a year of will-they-or-won't-they, the Federal Reserve on Sept. 18 announced the first cut to its benchmark Federal funds rate since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 50-basis-point drop that Chairman Jerome Powell signaled is likely the first of many.

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024
FOR GEN Z AT WORK, THE GENERATION GAP IS A WELLNESS GAP. HERE'S HOW TO BRIDGE IT
Fortune US

FOR GEN Z AT WORK, THE GENERATION GAP IS A WELLNESS GAP. HERE'S HOW TO BRIDGE IT

FOR ONE nonprofit executive director, it was a 2022 New York City subway shooting that highlighted the stark differences between how he, a 55-year-old, and his Gen Z staffers show up to work.

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024