Do Politics Belong in Business? You’re Asking the Wrong Question
For a long time, the rule of thumb was simple: Politics don’t belong in business.
Much like religion at the Thanksgiving table, politics were considered impolite, divisive, and best kept private. Unless you were Ben & Jerry’s, literally, businesses were expected to stay neutral.
That rule no longer applies.
Today, business and politics have collided in very real, very public ways. Business owners are being forced to make snap decisions in moments of crisis'; about safety, inclusion, law enforcement access, employee protection, and public response, often with cameras rolling and social media watching.
And the question business owners keep asking me isn’t what’s right or what’s wrong.
It’s this:
What should I do?
What happens if I stay quiet?
What happens if I speak up?
The honest answer is uncomfortable but true: we don’t know. And we do know this, silence is not neutral.
The Myth of Neutrality in Business
Many business owners believe that staying silent allows them to remain Switzerland. Uninvolved. Untouched. In today’s landscape, neutrality itself is a position.
When something happens that directly challenges your stated values and you say nothing, the market notices. Your employees notice. Your customers notice.
When there is a gap between what you say you stand for and how you show up publicly, that gap gets filled, by assumptions, narratives, and interpretations that you no longer control.
This is how businesses lose trust without ever issuing a statement.
Values Aren’t What You Say. They’re What You Do.
Every business has values; they are usually called your mission, purpose, or core values. You spent time defining them. Your team rallies around them. They’re proudly displayed on your website.
Values only matter when they’re tested.
You can say anything you want on a homepage. What defines your brand is how you behave when those values are challenged, especially publicly. Actions speak louder than words isn’t a cliché. It’s a branding truth.
What Happens When Values and Actions Don’t Align
When businesses claim strong values internally and fail to live them externally, several things happen:
Trust erodes internally
Credibility disappears externally
Brand clarity dissolves
Leadership authority weakens
Eventually, the business becomes hollow.
People don’t buy from brands they don’t understand. Employees don’t stay loyal to leaders they don’t trust. Markets move away from ambiguity.
This is the cost of performative neutrality.
This Isn’t About Endorsing Candidates
Let’s be clear about what this conversation is not about. This is not about political parties. It’s not about candidates. It’s not about legislation endorsements.
It is about:
Core values
Ethics
Humanity
Brand integrity
Many issues labeled “political” today are actually ethical and human issues. Calling them political is often a way to avoid engaging with them at all.
Values Without Expression Are Meaningless
One of the most common things I hear is:
“It’s not my job to speak up. I’m just here to run a business.”
Here’s the reality: Leadership has always required courage.
If you believe your values only matter when they’re convenient or profitable, they aren’t values, they’re marketing copy. Consumers, employees, and partners don’t expect perfection, they expect clarity.
What It Actually Looks Like to Be Values-Led
Being values-led does not mean reacting to everything. Thoughtful leadership requires discernment.
You don’t need to comment on every global issue. You do need to respond when something directly conflicts with your stated values or mission.
Here are filters you can use:
Does this issue directly conflict with our values?
Would silence create hypocrisy or misalignment?
Would our team expect us to say something?
Would our customers be confused if we didn’t?
If the answer is yes to any of these, it’s time to act.
Action Doesn’t Have to Be Loud
Speaking up doesn’t always mean a viral post or public declaration. It can look like:
An internal conversation with your team
A note in your newsletter
A values statement on your website
A quiet but tangible action in your community
The point isn’t volume. The point is integrity.
Avoiding Performative Activism
Thoughtful leadership is not:
Reactive posting
Vague statements without action
Trend-jumping
Emotional outbursts
Comment section warfare
It is:
Consistency
Alignment
Willingness to lose business for integrity
Conscious decisions about where your dollars, partnerships, and presence go
Standing in truth has a cost. Leaders who understand that are willing to pay it.
The Better Question to Ask
So, do politics belong in business? That’s the wrong question. A better one is:
How do we live with integrity publicly?
How do we demonstrate our values when they’re tested?
How do we ensure our actions match what we claim to stand for?
You don’t get to claim values privately and ignore them publicly without consequences.
If Your Business Were Audited Tomorrow…
Ask yourself this:
If someone audited your business tomorrow, your social media, internal communications, partnerships, donations, and actions, would they see alignment or would they see gaps and confusion?
This moment in history is an invitation to rise, to lead with clarity, courage, and credibility. The goal isn’t to be liked. It’s to be aligned, real, and trustworthy. That is how businesses last.
