Leveraging Networks for Democracy

In a recent episode of the Systems Catalysts podcast, Daniella Ballou-Aares, CEO of Leadership Now, and Anoop Prakash, Leadership Now Wisconsin Chair, discussed the power of leveraging networks to create systems change and reach goals.

The foundation of Leadership Now rests on the exceptional network of business leaders and academics, who persistently drive forward systems change to protect and renew our democracy, paving the way for a better future for all.

"Having courage is foundational to [systems change], and what gives people courage is doing [the work] together." — Daniella Ballou-Aares

Listen to the conversation:

The Challenge of Building Trust

“What will it take to rebuild trust?” asked Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares in the latest Democracy & Business Update on LinkedIn. “It starts with courageous individuals like Leadership Now honoree Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania's Secretary of State, who [in January] was awarded one of America’s top civilian honors for his defense of the 2020 vote while overseeing the Philadelphia election as a Republican City Commissioner. Even while he and his family endured threats to their safety, he stood up to Trump’s pressure to overturn the election results.” 

“But people like Al Schmidt alone won’t be enough to defend and rebuild democracy for the long term,” Daniella wrote in the Leadership Now update. As NYU professor and democracy expert Richard Pildes discussed at Leadership Now’s 2022 annual meeting, polarized, ineffective government fosters an atmosphere where autocratically-inclined leaders who promise to ‘deliver’ and create order through strength can gain popular appeal and undercut democracy. We've seen this play out in countries from Hungary to Brazil to Italy to India in recent years.

“With the Edelman Trust Baromoter once again showing that business is the most trusted sector in society, the burden for all of us to use that trust wisely is high. How can you help rebuild trust in our system, even as some political leaders burn it?”

Read on in the Monthly Business + Democracy Update

for Daniella Ballou-Aares’ tally of the low and high points for trusted leadership that have defined the start to 2023 — and the latest perspectives of Leadership Now and its members in the press.

Subscribe to the Monthly Business +  Democracy Update on LinkedIn.

Classified Documents Risk Further Eroding Trust In Democracy

How is it possible that the current president, the former president and the former vice president all be tripped up by the same federal document control system, ostensibly designed to keep America’s most vital secrets safe? And what does that have to do with the strength of American democracy?

Leadership Now Project CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares took on this question in a recent appearance on MSNBC, joining American Voices with Alicia Menendez to share her perspective on the burgeoning controversies over improper possession of classified documents by some of America’s most prominent and powerful public officials.

“One of the really worrying things about this whole scandal is that [it] further erodes American trust and democracy,” she told viewers. “We need to look at the system and make something that actually works.” She emphasized the need to modernize the system and also ensure we “find the real instances of threats to national security and intent to undermine it,” rather than simply that documents marked classified were retained after officials left office.

While the complications associated with classification are a serious challenge to public trust, they may also present an opportunity for reform —and for taking a robust look at how the U.S. government strategically uses information and keeps it secure. In 2010, President Obama passed The Reducing Over-Classification Act in response to findings by the 9/11 Commission that overclassification had undermined national security. In 2023, we again find the system – replete with overclassification and confounded by a lack of clarity around what should be classified – posing a risk to national security by undermining Americans’ faith in the system and creating a weakness our adversaries will see as an opportunity.

Leadership Now 2022 Recap

When it comes to democracy, 2022 was full of many trials and tribulations, in addition to some pleasant surprises. While we watched the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection and saw continued attacks on inclusivity in the name of free speech, we also saw heroic attempts by people to defend the principles of democracy and witnessed an historic rebuke of election denialism in the midterms. Throughout the year, Leadership Now and its members worked together to inform, engage and mobilize business leaders to ensure the United States has a strong democracy and economy. See below for a brief recap of our 2022 highlights:

Leadership 

• Recruited new members from reputable businesses, universities, and civic institutions  

• Increased position as a leading nonpartisan, trusted voice on how the business community can protect US democracy  

• Hosted and participated in a variety of thought-provoking events from the Master of Scale Summit to Fast Company’s Innovation Festival

• Launched a LinkedIn newsletter, which obtained 800 followers after the first issue 

• More than 70 stories placed in major media outlets highlighting LNP and its members, including The New York Times, Financial Times, and Fast Company

Coverage of LNP and its members in more than 70 major media outlets

Actions & Results

• After engaging with numerous senators, making our support known in the press and in many on- and off-the-record convenings, encouraging other business associations to sign on, and working in collaboration with organizations to advance the legislation, Electoral Count Reform Act was passed as part of the ombinus spending package in December.

• Mobilized influential business groups in support of Michigan’s Promote the Vote ballot initiative, which was passed in November 

• Joined more than 60 groups and individuals submitting amicus briefs in Moore vs. Harper, which could give state legislatures unprecedented control over elections. 

• Launched the Project Democracy PAC, which supports candidates and elected officials who advance an effective democracy for all Americans . Majority of PAC-endorsed candidates won their midterm elections, including Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers

Project Democracy PAC TV ad supporting Tony Evers in Wisconsin gubernatorial race

• Hosted 30+ briefings with renowned academics and authors; elected officials and candidates; and partners like Voting Rights Lab, Protect Democracy and WorkMoney. 

• Developed innovative, informative tools including the Business Leader’s Guide to Democracy, Democracy Report Card and Corporate Civic Engagement Toolkit 

• Released impactful research on Business Risk in Flawed Democracy, ESG and Political Influence, the Role of Independent Women, and more.  

• Members, which belong to various political parties, collaborated and developed meaningful plans at our largest-ever annual meeting 

• Funded survey led by Tufts University Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. Eitan Hersh, examining business leaders’ attitudes toward political engagement 

• Became a founding member of the Business and Democracy Initiative, a partnership that mobilizes corporate leaders committed to protecting elections and rebuilding trust in democratic institutions 

Thank you to all of our members, partners, and funders for your support and collaboration in 2022. We look forward to continuing to work together to protect and improve our democracy in 2023 and beyond.

Leadership Now Project is a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization with a mission to protect and renew American democracy. Project Democracy is a separate, affiliated political organization that supports candidates who share that mission.

Beyond the Buzz: Business Leader's Guide to Democracy

From dark money to stakeholder capitalism, business leaders today are expected to know the terms and concepts being used in the civic space. Yet, when is the last time you learned about the difference between representative democracy and inclusive democracy? Probably a high school civics class, if you were lucky.

At Leadership Now, we worked with our nationwide network of business and thought leaders to create a guide to go beyond the buzz and help you understand the fundamentals of democratic systems, the basics of campaign finance, and common democracy threats like gerrymandering. We also provide insights on how businesses engage in politics and examples of innovations in democracy.

Have a question or proposed topic? Let us know! We update this guide frequently with feedback from leaders like you.