Proactive steps to take ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

DELIVERING ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS ON THE DAY’S NEWS Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Axel Karlsson, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms Welcome to the latest edition of Only McKinsey Perspectives. We hope you find our insights useful. Let us know what you think at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Axel_Karlsson@McKinsey.com. —Alex and Axel Geopolitics’ personal and emotional side In the news • The chief geopolitical officer. As global institutions and companies become increasingly mindful of geopolitical threats, conventional strategies for managing world affairs are proving inadequate for many organizations. One expert at the World Economic Forum suggests that an emerging executive position—the chief geopolitical officer (CGO)—could help companies incorporate geopolitical insights into key business decisions in a strategic, proactive way. CGOs could also play a critical role in translating geopolitical issues or risks into opportunities, as organizations can improve their risk management by assessing potential areas of geopolitical exposure, including tracking revenue sources across geopolitically sensitive regions. [WEF] • Improving awareness. Employees don’t shed their social and political views when they enter the workplace, McKinsey Partner Ziad Haider shares in Fast Company—and perspectives are sure to diverge in large, complex organizations. In a setting where a single comment could seriously damage trust, talent retention, or a company’s reputation, executives need to be deliberate when addressing geopolitical issues with workers. Enabling colleagues to move to new offices or markets is one way to foster trust and understanding of different cultures and mindsets. [Fast Company] “Leaders need a geopolitics strategy for engaging with their people, just as they need one to guide their operations.” —Ziad Haider, partner, McKinsey On McKinsey.com • Personal worldviews. Geopolitics is deeply personal, says McKinsey’s global director of geopolitics, Ziad Haider. Individual experiences, global events, and news consumption all shape how employees relate to their organizations’ stances on geopolitical issues. Today, business leaders face the dual challenge of navigating complex external geopolitics while managing a potentially charged internal environment. If employees’ varied geopolitical opinions aren’t handled carefully, organizations risk losing trust, talent, or intellectual property, as well as their social or legal standing in certain markets. • Building resilience. Geopolitical resilience requires companies to invest in three core areas—insight, oversight, and foresight—and in a critical fourth dimension, people. A key component of a people-centric approach is embracing a multipolar mindset, which recognizes that employees bring distinct and nuanced perspectives to the workplace. For instance, CEOs who invite a diverse group of external experts and speakers from various regions to company events show that they are committed to considering multiple perspectives. Discover five elements of a proactive geopolitical strategy that can help build bridges of understanding between colleagues with varied views and backgrounds. Strengthen your geopolitical agenda —Edited by Belinda Yu, editor, Atlanta Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback—we’d love to hear from you. Follow our thinking McKinsey Insights - Get our latest thinking on your iPhone, iPad, or Android. Copyright © 2025 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007