Staying the Course on Principled Leadership in a Turbulent Era
As we close out a turbulent and unprecedented year, one thing is clear: business leadership will help decide what comes next—for fair workplaces, our economy, and our democracy.
Federal actions have tried to roll back progress on civil rights, fair workplaces, and an equitable economy. But they have not changed our civil rights laws, the fundamentals of smart business, or the moral imperative to build an economy that works for everyone.
Throughout the year, we’ve convened experts and practitioners to make sense of the shifting landscape and prepare business leaders for what lies ahead. More uncertainty is coming, but each of us holds real power—and responsibility—to shape a fairer future for all. Here are six takeaways from our conversations to keep front and center in the months ahead:
- Separate the noise from reality.
- Treat DEIA as core business strategy and risk management.
- Prepare for scrutiny, without retreating.
- Own the story of what you’re doing.
- Choose courage and community over quiet cutbacks.
- Look for what’s hidden—and who is most affected.
Read our latest blog for more on how to put these leadership principles into practice to protect your people, your organization, and the economy and democracy we all depend on. If leaders hold fast to these principles, we can show up as calm, clear anchors—shaping a fairer future where everyone can thrive, regardless of background or political persuasion.
At the Alliance, we remain committed to supporting business leaders in meeting this moment with clarity, resolve, and confidence. Our Business Standards will serve as a critical guide for the path ahead, and we have a big agenda next year to launch them and continue supporting the business community in shaping what comes next.
We look forward to building on this work with you. Read on for updates on our standards launch, key events to stay connected and informed, and new resources to protect and advance your work.
Get Your Ticket Now: PolicyLink’s 2026 Summit
Our nation’s founding promise remains unfinished—and this moment calls us to imagine what comes next. In 2026, PolicyLink will bring together thousands of leaders for We Are the Founders, a powerful, cross-sector experience focused on advancing a fair and thriving economy and democracy and reimagining the systems that shape our collective future. We invite business leaders to join us in forging new partnerships, surfacing bold ideas, and co-creating concrete strategies with the power to transform our economy and democracy so they finally work for everyone. Register by December 31 for the Early-Bird Discount.
Standards Update
Our work continues to build the roadmap for companies to embed fairness and equal opportunity into every part of their business.
- This year we refined the draft Business Standards for 21st Century Leadership by synthesizing feedback from more than 450 individuals and incorporating insights from a pilot that involved 12 companies that collectively employ more than half a million workers—across tech, finance, retail, healthcare, transportation, and food & beverage.
- As part of our mission to advance socially responsible business practices, we have also been hard at work on a sister initiative: advancing the Civil Rights Audit Standards—a rigorous gap analysis tool to elevate and standardize civil rights audits. The Audit Standards identify gaps in practices and the Business Standards offer the roadmap to address them. This year, we trained 28 professionals on how to implement the Audit Standards together with the Business Standards, strengthening the field.
- PolicyLink’s Mahlet Getachew was appointed to the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD) Americas Council as well as to the Technical Working Group tasked with the development of the disclosure framework. Her appointment will ensure the Business Standards inform TISFD’s ongoing work—from the disclosure framework to the metrics and targets. And we are committed to mapping the Business Standards to TISFD’s efforts to show the close connections and drive adoption.
- Stay tuned for the launch of the Business Standards in 2026 and the next phase of our work to ensure businesses have the tools and support to turn fairness from an aspiration into everyday practice.
Stay Connected and Informed in 2026
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In 2025, we deployed new channels and resources to help leaders adapt to a rapidly shifting landscape. We’ll continue these engagements in 2026 and welcome you to join us:
- Register for our monthly Just and Fair Business Briefings, kicking off in January with David Glasgow, founding executive director of NYU’s Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and coauthor of How Equality Wins. The nation’s foremost expert on the legal landscape for DEI, Glasgow will look back on a historic year, unpack where equity efforts lost their footing, and chart a bold, lawful, and lasting roadmap for rebuilding equality in this new era. These monthly briefings provide a confidential space for professionals inside and outside of business to stay abreast of developments, share learnings, and strategize together on inside-game approaches.
- Visit our Just and Fair Business Resource Hub—a monthly digest featuring the latest and most pressing guidance, resources, and tools to stay on the cutting edge of the evolving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility landscape. For example, check out November resources on countering authoritarianism, responsible AI, and corporate political responsibility in this era.
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Register to join the Moments of Truth workshop on January 26th, for a closed-door conversation, hosted by Berkeley Center for Law & Business, Third Side Strategies, and PolicyLink, on how business and legal leaders can respond to pressure with integrity.
New Resources to Protect and Advance Your Work
As federal government actions create uncertainty, the following resources were designed specifically to help business leaders parse fact from fiction while staying the course:
- Making the Case equips you with the latest data, proof points, and leadership voices to demonstrate why advancing fair workplaces is both defensible and indispensable.
- Why Data and Assessment Drive Clarity and Mitigate Risk in a Complex Environment explains why capturing data remains essential for protecting your organization and advancing long-term success.
- Rewriting the Rules of the Boardroom offers a human-centered, future-ready approach to boardroom leadership spotlighting six levers for change—like shifting power, redesigning incentives, and building safe spaces for bold conversations.
- The Values We Share surfaces key findings about how people across ideology and geography within the U.S. understand fairness and equal protection, and unite around shared values. Use this to deepen understanding of how your messaging may resonate with a broad range of audiences and across lines of difference.
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Navigating State Anti-ESG Laws breaks down the anti-ESG playbook, shares key pathways to stay the course, and underscores the business risks of retreating from well-established, responsible practices.
Keep in Touch and Stay Up to Date
We look forward to seeing you in 2026. In the meantime, learn more about the Corporate Racial Equity Alliance founding partners: FSG, JUST Capital, and PolicyLink.