How to Inspire Positive Change as a C-Suite Leader

Discover how HotTopics’ leaders community is harnessing technology to make the world a better place—and how you can apply their insights to your own team.

How are leaders within the HotTopics community using technology to change the world for the better and how can other executives implement some of their learnings within their own teams?

This year HotTopics is hosting The Studio at Abbey Road Studios, where more than 100 technology leaders and C-suite professionals can witness our roundtable debates and In The Hot Seat sessions live. Not only will this be an opportunity to connect with fellow leaders, it will also serve as a global platform to share new insights on a variety of hot topics that have leaders buzzing in the technology industry. 

Delve into the potential discussion points for the In The Hot Seat debate: ‘Inspiring Positive Change: How is Technology Improving Society?’.

Environmental and positive change 

In the Studio roundtable debate ‘Can Technology Ever be Sustainable?’ CDIO at London Business School, Danny Attias, pointed out that sustainability should form a part of every organisation’s strategy–more specifically, the technology strategy. Encouraging more technology leaders to start the conversation will enable them to recognise the positive impact and change sustainability can have when paired with the right technology. His view was that: “ we are probably more engaged in the bigger picture… rather than the micro element”.

Linking back to purpose, technology leaders have a responsibility to adhere to sustainability principles–new and emerging technologies can help them accomplish these goals. C-suite leaders looking to make a positive change and impact on the technology function can turn to technology for actionable steps to reduce their carbon footprint or attract more environmentally-conscious talent in the organisation. 

What leaders need to consider is what kind of positive environmental change they are able to enact within their organisation using the technology at their disposal.

C-suite wellbeing

What better way is there to inspire positive change within the organisation than capitalising on wellbeing and mental health strategies? 

Mental health and wellbeing are critical aspects of our overall health, and it is essential for companies to recognise this and take the necessary steps to support their employees. The technology function is known for being fast-paced, demanding and often stressful. This can, in some cases, lead to burnout and mental health issues for employees, especially those in executive leadership positions. Companies are increasingly aware of the need to create a work environment that prioritises employee wellbeing and mental health–what remains to be seen is how to tackle this issue.

Prioritising mental health and wellbeing is not only beneficial for employees but also for the organisation as a whole. By promoting a positive work environment, companies can improve a number of issues within the workforce environment. It is essential for companies, especially those in the technology function, to recognise the importance of mental health and wellbeing. To begin with, leaders need to ascertain what strategies they need to use to support mental health within teams or create a more positive and optimistic working environment to improve the overall wellbeing of the workforce.

Purpose-driven positive change

In order to start driving positive change, organisations can begin the process by adopting a purpose-driven leadership approach. Industry leaders believe that there are a number of different ways this is being accomplished–one of which is through charities and social enterprises. 

Other areas of organisations are being impacted by this; CIO of Persimmon Homes, Paul Coby argued that there’s real change happening when it comes to diversity initiatives and setting measurable and actionable environmental goals. Leading on from this, IP Dividual’s CTO Fergus Boyd pointed out that this wave of positive change is forcing companies to “wake up their objectives and brand value” and focus on the true purpose–such as ESG. 

The hybrid working model

Three years on from the Covid-19 pandemic and rigid remote working environments, how do technology leaders feel about the hybrid working environment now, and what technology are they using to ensure that their teams are working seamlessly across different landscapes?

Many leaders would argue that hybrid working has streamlined a variety of operational processes within their organisations–enacting a great deal of positive change. For example, having employees work from home for part of the week can help reduce overhead costs, such as rent and utilities. Additionally, it can lead to a more diverse and inclusive workforce by allowing people to work from anywhere in the world, regardless of their location.

The 3:2 model, where employees spend three days in the office and two days at home, has become a popular hybrid working schedule, allowing employees to take advantage of the benefits of both on-site and remote working, while also allowing leaders to determine what's best for achieving the organisation's goals.

Positive change at The Studio

The leaders of our HotTopics community have talked through environmental positive change, C-suite wellbeing, purpose-driven positive change and hybrid workspaces–what’s next?

Whether you’re a virtual, hybrid or in-person professional, attend The Studio to see the In The Hot Seat debate ‘Inspiring Positive Change: How is Technology Improving Society?’ live at Abbey Road Studios on May 16 to discover more about the different ways technology can inspire positive change within organisations and wider society. 

For more information, see The Studio Agenda.