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Sidestepping Some of the Partisan Debate: An Interview with Max Stier

By: Aaron K. Chatterji and Michael W. Toffel
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

Whereas some organizational leaders are engaging in CEO activism by speaking out on social and political issues not directly related to their bottom line, some leaders want to avoid doing so. Some, in fact, hold neutrality as a core component of their strategy. But maintaining nonpartisanship in an increasingly polarized world is a difficult task. It means—in some ways—that those leaders have to become activists for neutrality. Perhaps no one has a better understanding of how this works than Max Stier, the CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that works with political administrations to hire and train political appointees. We interviewed Stier for our HBR Big Idea series “Divided We Lead,” and this is a condensed and edited version of our conversation.

Keywords

Social Issues; Government and Politics; Leadership; Communication Strategy

Citation

Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Sidestepping Some of the Partisan Debate: An Interview with Max Stier." Special Issue on HBR Big Idea: Leadership in a Hot-Button World. Harvard Business Review (website) (March–April 2018).
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About The Author

Michael W. Toffel

Technology and Operations Management
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  • How Firms Respond to Worker Activism: Evidence from Global Supply Chains By: Yanhua Bird, Jodi L. Short and Michael W. Toffel
  • Calyx Global: Rating Carbon Credits By: Michael W. Toffel and Adam Chen
  • Arla Foods: Data-Driven Decarbonization (A) and (B) PowerPoint Supplement By: Michael Parzen, Michael W. Toffel and Susan Pinckney
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