Higher Ground - by Alison Taylor (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Today's headlines are full of employee unrest over racial injustice, communities infuriated by corporate environmental impacts, staff anxiety over surveillance, and discoveries of child labor in supply chains. We've traveled far and fast from the old world of business ethics, where black-and-white concerns about bribery and fraud could be addressed with rules and processes. Simply maximizing shareholder value while not breaking the law is no longer an option, but we've never been so confused about what it means to do the right thing. In this eye-opening, indispensable book, NYU ethics professor Alison Taylor argues that amid stakeholder demands and transparency pressures, we can no longer treat ethics as a legal and reputational defense mechanism. Leaders at Davos and the Business Roundtable have called for a new corporate responsibility paradigm, but how to implement their ideas remains an open question as organizations struggle in an atmosphere of heightened expectations and intense suspicion. Offering vivid stories and examples, Taylor brings this complex, risky environment alive to provide a blueprint for how leaders should rethink and reshape their practices. How can CEOs cut through the noise to set robust environmental and social priorities? When should they speak out on contentious social and political issues, and how? What does it really take to build a healthy organizational culture? How are we to approach corporate values when society is so divided? Higher Ground will show leaders how business can navigate this messy paradigm shift, build trust, and achieve long-term strategic advantage in a turbulent world"--

Book Synopsis

Named one of the "Best books of 2024: Business" by the Financial Times

An indispensable guide to help companies navigate the new era of ethical challenges and risks in a volatile global landscape.

Today's headlines teem with employee unrest over racial injustice, communities infuriated by corporate environmental impacts, staff anxiety over surveillance, public outrage over corruption in business, and discoveries of child labor in supply chains. We've traveled far and fast from the old world of business ethics, where black-and-white concerns about bribery and fraud could be addressed via rules and processes. Simply maximizing shareholder value while not breaking the law is no longer a tenable approach, but we've never been so confused about what it means to do the right thing-and why it's so important.

In this eye-opening, essential book, NYU Stern ethics professor Alison Taylor argues that amid stakeholder demands and transparency pressures, we can no longer treat ethics as merely a legal and reputational defense mechanism. Leaders at Davos and the Business Roundtable have called for a new corporate responsibility paradigm, but organizations struggle to implement these ideas in an atmosphere of heightened expectations and intense suspicion. Offering vivid stories and examples from years working in anti-corruption and advising companies on ethics, Taylor brings this complex, risky environment alive to provide a blueprint for how leaders can rethink and reshape their practices. How can CEOs cut through the noise to set robust environmental and social priorities? When should they speak out on contentious social and political issues--and how? What does it really take to build a healthy organizational culture? How are we to approach corporate values when society itself is so divided?

Higher Ground shows leaders how business can navigate this messy paradigm shift, build trust, and achieve long-term strategic advantage in a turbulent world.

Review Quotes

Winner of the 2024 Porchlight Business Book Award for Leadership & Strategy

"...a smart and surprisingly quick read on managing issues that could topple corporate leaders without them realising." - Financial Times

"...a very practical guide for CEOs." -- Impact Investing

Advance Praise for Higher Ground:

"A fresh, realistic guide to navigating the complex social and political pressures businesses face today." -- Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer, Salesforce

"Alison Taylor charts a sensible path for businesses that want to deliver profits for their stockholders while respecting those whose lives their conduct affects. Her practical recommendations for companies to do the right thing build on common ground, transcending partisan labels at a time when restoring the ties that bind us is an urgent priority." -- Leo E. Strine Jr., former Chancellor and Chief Justice, Delaware; Michael L. Wachter Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

"Join Alison Taylor for a globe-spanning trek to higher ground through some of the most pressing issues of our time. Filled with insights from her remarkable career and told in her sharp and engaging style, Higher Ground is a timely and compelling read." -- Forrest Deegan, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Victoria's Secret

"Finally, a book about business and ethics that's fit for the twenty-first century. Every executive should pay attention to this book." -- R. Edward Freeman, University Professor and Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration, UVA Darden School of Business

"In Higher Ground, Alison Taylor masterfully connects the dots between governance, compliance, ethics, sustainability, and the purpose of a company. She untangles the complexity with surgical precision while remaining empathetic with those who honestly try to do the right thing without being perfect. Definitely a must-read!" -- Klaus Moosmayer, Chief Ethics, Risk, and Compliance Officer and member of the Executive Committee, Novartis

"A blunt, surprising, inspiring, no-bullsh*t guide to what it really means to be a solid business today and into the future. If you're looking for a way out of the rhetoric and confusion, start with this book and follow Alison Taylor's insightful critique of the evolving business and society landscape." -- Jessica Hyman, Chief Sustainability Officer, Atlassian

"A practical guide to holding on to your values in a polarized world of work. Alison Taylor has extensive experience working with leaders on responsibility and ethics, and her recommendations are principled and pragmatic." -- Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Think Again and Hidden Potential; host, ReThinking podcast

About the Author

Alison Taylor is a clinical professor at NYU Stern School of Business and executive director at Ethical Systems, a research collaboration based at NYU and focused on building more ethical organizational cultures. She has spent decades advising large multinationals on risk, corruption, sustainability, and organizational culture.

Connect with Alison Taylor on LinkedIn and at NYU Stern School of Business.