Live the adage “From those to whom
much is given, much is required.” Starbucks
and Unilever may have a resource
advantage, but they use their brand, visibility,
and scale to blend capitalism with
activism to influence change. Polman tackles
global malnutrition; Schultz addresses
other big-picture issues such as job creation
and political disunion. And people
respond. When Schultz called on major
corporations to halt all political campaign
contributions until the U.S. government
solved the budget deficit, nearly 200 top
executives of major companies signed on.
He’s resolute: “Business leaders cannot be
bystanders.”