Supporting Your Team Through political upheaval
As we look ahead to Trump’s second term and the cabinet he’s already building, we’re strongly encouraging impact-focused startups and organizations to consider and plan for how this administration and its policies could affect your teams and your missions.
We’re lucky to be able to work with companies committed to building a more just, equitable, and sustainable world, and the unfortunate truth is that Trump’s reelection has created the very real prospect of a political climate that will be hostile to everything from sustainability to equal opportunity — indeed, we’ve already seen “DEI” attacked and weaponized in his rhetoric. Notably, his administration is shaping up to be aggressively deregulatory, threatening to create an uncertain market for climate tech founders and shifting drivers for company sustainability efforts from federal oversight to consumer preferences, investor pressures (e.g., ESG investing), and employee advocacy.
But the impacts of this political climate go deeper than the practical considerations of markets, policies, and regulations.
It's crucial to recognize that the impacts of our current political environment extend far beyond the workplace. For many people, especially those from already marginalized groups, the stress and emotional toll can be all-consuming. When hateful rhetoric, discriminatory policies, and the rollback of hard-won rights dominate the national conversation, it sends a clear message to multiple populations that their safety, dignity, and very existence are under threat. This constant sense of being attacked or devalued can lead to chronic anxiety, depression, anger, trauma, and a host of physical health issues that will become increasingly relevant to the workplace.
As an impact-focused leader, it's essential to understand that your team members may be carrying this emotional weight with them every day, on top of their regular workload and responsibilities, and that’s when burnout becomes a true threat. Empathy, compassion, and a commitment to creating a truly inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported are non-negotiable as we head into 2025. Your leadership in this area has the potential to be life-changing for your employees.
In this critical moment, impact-focused leaders have an opportunity to step up as a powerful force for good in their employees' lives and in society at large.
This isn’t new! As a founder or leader in an impact-focused organization, you're already in the business of world-building. Your mission is to create a future that's better than the present, whether that's through advancing clean energy, women's health, or any other form of positive change. But it's crucial to remember that the world you have the most direct power to shape is the one inside your own organization. Your internal culture is the foundation upon which all your external impact is built — and they can and should mirror each other.
In a political climate that threatens to be aggressively deregulatory and hostile towards marginalized groups, your leadership and your organizational culture will be more important than ever. It’s not your employees’ whole world, but it’s a huge part of it. Here's how you can rise to the coming challenge:
Prioritize psychological safety and human connection.
In times of upheaval, your team needs to know that your workplace is a refuge where they can bring their full, authentic selves without fear. This requires empathetic leadership, genuine connection, and a culture of belonging that starts from the top. Make space for difficult conversations, and ensure your team feels seen, heard, and supported.
Be proactive in preventing burnout.
Recognize that your employees are likely facing stressors and challenges on multiple fronts—not just at work. Encourage healthy boundaries, provide robust mental health resources, and give your team the flexibility and autonomy they need to manage their energy. Regularly review workloads, reconnect people to purpose, and model sustainable work practices yourself.
Use your platform for change.
You may not be able to single-handedly shift the national political landscape, but you can be a powerful voice in your industry and community. Look for opportunities to influence public discourse, partner with advocacy organizations relevant to your product or solution (this is an especially powerful approach for FemTech and HealthTech), and integrate your values into every aspect of your business strategy. Your organizational platform is a tool for positive change—use it.
Double down on your commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
In a hostile political climate, your dedication to all of your employees is more critical than ever. Make it absolutely clear that discrimination and marginalization will not be tolerated, and back up your words with actions. Provide targeted resources and support to potentially impacted groups, and continually work to dismantle barriers to opportunity. Your team needs to know you stand with them unequivocally.
As an impact-focused leader, you have a profound responsibility to your team and to the future you're working to build. You're in a position to make your organization a bulwark of sanity, stability, and purpose in the face of immense challenges.
It will require courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to your values. It will require leading with both empathy and conviction, staying true to your mission while taking care of your people when the world gets especially draining. It will require difficult conversations, uncomfortable introspection, and a willingness to keep fighting for what's right, even when it feels daunting.
But this is the work of leadership in times of upheaval. This is how you turn your organization into a microcosm of the equitable, sustainable future you envision. Your team is looking to you to light the way forward.
And if the new generation of founders we’ve worked with over these past two years knows anything, it’s how to forge brave new ways of leading and building organizations designed to solve some of our most pressing problems. Over and over again, we’ve heard the same thing from the founders we’ve partnered with: “I don’t want to be like all the horrible bosses I’ve had. I want to be a genuinely good leader.”
You have the strength, the vision, and the moral imperative to meet this moment.
The world you're building starts within your own walls. Lead with your values, take care of your people, and never stop fighting for the future we all deserve.