DISPATCHES
The Pace of Change

by ERICA SALMON BYRNE

_{WINTER 2025 | DISPATCHES}

The Pace of Change

by ERICA SALMON BYRNE | Chief Strategy Officer & Executive Chair, Ethisphere

Photo courtesy of Workday

Lately, I have been thinking about the pace of change we have experienced in recent years, and how that pace will likely seem like nothing in a few months. I gave this topic a lot of attention over the Winter holidays because of two events that happened that impacted me personally.

The first is that we lost former President Jimmy Carter. His accomplishments are legion. But to me (and my family), he was “the sweater man.” When I was a kid, and wanted to turn up the thermostat, my dad’s answer was “President Carter would tell you to put on a sweater.” The first time I gave that response to my child’s request to bump the temp up a few degrees, I had an “whoa I’m turning into my dad” moment. Since then, I’ve said it enough that the current response is “I know, I know, get a sweater.” It’s strong, practical advice. But it’s also advice that centers around personal responsibility. Instead of relying on the furnace to pump more hot air into the house, impacting everyone around you, just go put on another layer. (I do draw the line at hats inside though).

The second thing that happened is that my eldest, Julianne, got her driver’s license. We all remember what it was like when we got our driver’s license and the freedom that comes with it. But as any parent will agree, it also introduces a whole new avenue of things to worry about. It’s a reminder that our kids grow up faster than we expect them to.

Every change in their lives is a change in our own, as well. The challenge, of course, is accepting that, and allowing her to take charge of her own choices, trusting that she’ll remember how they impact those around her.

As Julianne approaches adulthood, she will face the massive generational shift underway in the workplace—namely, the differences in expectations between her generation and those who have come before. Whether it is the push and pull around return to work orders, the impact of generative AI, global supply chains experiencing a lingering hangover from COVID-19, or some change around the corner that we can’t see yet, the way we work – the world of work – bears no resemblance to Jimmy Carter’s world.

The key to dealing with that change, though, is right in front of us. It is empowering your managers, who are the linchpin of your culture, and making sure they are ready to guide their teams as individual choices they make impact those around them. If your managers are not ready for these challenges, they will struggle. And if your managers struggle, so will your entire organization.

I have two hopes for 2025. The first is for business leaders to acknowledge more broadly that not everyone is suited to take on managerial responsibility, and that is okay. We should recognize and reward strong individual contributors and not make them feel that there is something wrong with them if they are not running a team. If we keep making the task of leading teams the apex of career development, then we will end up with people leading teams who shouldn’t be.

The second is that I hope more companies will learn how to measure the commercial impact of their investment in integrity. For years, we have been telling the story here at Ethisphere of the Ethics Premium – the idea that good companies, run well, will outperform.

Per the Department of Justice’s ECCP guidance update from last year, organizations are expected to take an active interest in resourcing, empowering, and advancing their ethics and compliance function, and to figure out how to use that investment to perform better.

Despite the turbulence we currently see in Washington, that expectation isn’t likely to go away, because it is the right expectation for a world where intangible assets – people, brand and reputation – underpin most of the value of our companies.

Change is upon us. This is our opportunity to adapt and grow. Let’s rise to that challenge together. Remember that even if we are far from our colleagues, our decisions ripple out into the world. We’re each responsible for our own choices. And if you’re chilly, put on a sweater. ■

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