Leaders in all sectors — from business to sports to education — are publicly engaging in controversial political and social debates that they would have shied away from just a few years ago. Weighing in on divisive issues can alienate stakeholders — customers, employees, and investors among them. Yet since we wrote “The New CEO Activists,” published in the January–February 2018 issue of HBR, we’ve seen a growing wave of leaders surging into activist roles.

Read more on Corporate social responsibility or related topics Leadership and Corporate communications