I recommend reading What history can teach Arizona’s business leaders about political stability, a compelling new essay by Adam Goodman, my co-founder at Leadership Now Arizona, published in the Arizona Business Journal.
Adam opens with an arresting historical comparison:
He claimed that he alone could fix the nation’s economy. He presented himself as an outsider fighting a corrupt political establishment on behalf of ordinary people. He railed against a free press as an enemy of the people. He filled the courts with loyalists.
Did you think I was talking about Donald Trump? No. This playbook was written by the original authoritarian of the Americas, President Porfirio Díaz of Mexico. The people best positioned to stop him from interfering with elections looked a lot like me: business leaders.
As a history major myself, I appreciate Adam’s reliance on history. History does not repeat itself mechanically, but it exposes patterns and warns us that complacency can be costly.
Adam’s central point deserves the attention of every CEO:
CEOs avoid speaking out for fear of retaliation. But when election administration is threatened, silence isn’t neutral. We rarely spend the asset we have: credibility.
CEOs and civic leaders must stop assuming someone else will protect democratic institutions or speak up about the importance of simple norms related to the rule of law. We can’t delegate the job of correcting falsehoods or demonstrating the consequences to politicians who recklessly disregard the rule of law.
Contact me if you would like to learn more about how you can support our non-partisian work.
Complacency is a choice. So is engagement.
Sources
• Adam Goodman, Phoenix Business Journal, September 11, 2026
Thanks for reading. Subscribe for free to receive new posts regarding my observations on modern life, civics, and the common good.