What does safety mean to us as corporate leaders? I sometimes ask myself this question and am intrigued by the myriad of meanings that come to mind. We all want safety for our family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. We want safety for our country, and we want safety for the world. And while governmental agencies offer public safety services such as emergency calling and response, what about the millions of private sector organizations employing billions of people globally? How can corporate leaders help and support the effort of making the earth a safer place to live? This topic of public and private sector responsibilities also came up during one of my conversations with Israel’s ninth president, Shimon Peres. The brilliant orator shared a provocative idea with me: How would our world be different if it was run by companies rather than governments? President Peres, a veteran government politician, elaborated that many multinational companies often embody democracy rather than dynasty. Furthermore, the decision making process of many of these multinational companies tends to be balanced and thoughtful towards their employees (citizens), and due to their global nature, more tolerant of peoples’ racial and ethnic backgrounds, and more positive results driven.
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