CEOs on capitalism’s challenges

Four CEOs discuss the difficulties of managing an evolving business environment with the long term in mind, and of working with stakeholders and communities interested in more than bottom-line returns.

As they lead their companies through a global economy that’s still rife with uncertainty, executives must also address fundamental business issues that went awry during the financial crisis and that now threaten to prompt a public antagonism toward the capitalist system itself. Tackling those challenges requires rewiring the ways leaders govern, manage, and lead corporations. In this article and video, Caterpillar’s Jim Owens, The Carlyle Group’s David Rubenstein, Starbucks’ Howard Schultz, and Unilever’s Paul Polman discuss some of the current challenges to capitalism—ranging from long-term planning and stakeholder management to building trust and consumer confidence—and how companies can address them in a socially responsible way.

Of further interest

For more from these CEOs, view the full video interviews from which these clips were taken:

McKinsey conversations with global leaders: Jim Owens of Caterpillar

McKinsey conversations with global leaders: David Rubenstein of The Carlyle Group

McKinsey conversations with global leaders: Paul Polman of Unilever

Starbucks’ quest for healthy growth: An interview with Howard Schultz