Rich Lesser on Climate, Hard Truths, and Hope

Today’s CEOs will be judged on how they address climate change and the bottom line, or purpose and profits. For Rich Lesser this is an opportunity to be at the forefront, in his words, of “the largest industrial transformation maybe ever but certainly since World War II.” To succeed, businesses will need to engage deeply with other businesses, their customers, and governments. The challenge is too large to go it alone or to view government as an impediment. For businesses that want to do the right thing, Lesser said, “getting government policies that raise the standard for everyone is in their interest.” After running BCG for nine years, Lesser's final term as CEO ended in 2021. He also talks about his own evolution in understanding the climate crisis, how purpose can drive performance, and why the job of CEO today is harder but more rewarding than a decade ago. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy