{"id":1321497,"date":"2022-02-21T08:25:06","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T13:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1321497"},"modified":"2022-02-21T08:25:09","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T13:25:09","slug":"harrison-rogers-wokeness-is-in-but-anti-woke-ceos-will-win-hearts-and-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harrison-rogers-wokeness-is-in-but-anti-woke-ceos-will-win-hearts-and-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"Harrison Rogers: Wokeness Is In, But Anti-Woke CEOs Will Win Hearts and Minds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fharrison-rogers-wokeness-is-in-but-anti-woke-ceos-will-win-hearts-and-minds%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1321497&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div id=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-xs-12\">\n<div class=\"contributor-img pull-left\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/harrisonrogers\/\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Harrison Rogers\" class=\"img-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/media.townhall.com\/townhall\/reu\/contributor-sm\/authorimages\/4c4255a7-b299-4f25-9f96-d969a0c5b1fd.jpeg\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>|<\/p>\n<p>Posted: Feb 20, 2022 12:01 AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<p><em>The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<aside id=\"aside1\" class=\"left aside-wrapper aside-wrapper-950\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWokeness\u201d has oozed into every facet of American society. From <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/education\/2022\/02\/14\/critical-race-theory-teachers-fear-laws\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2Day_N_SPOtyi-aM6sMQMt\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/education\/2022\/02\/14\/critical-race-theory-teachers-fear-laws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">education<\/a> to <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.insider.com\/snowpiercer-daveed-diggs-frustrating-sci-fi-stories-lack-diversity-2022-1&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw26UKi7ODV8vQovEg6Gcc7J\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insider.com\/snowpiercer-daveed-diggs-frustrating-sci-fi-stories-lack-diversity-2022-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">entertainment<\/a>, Americans are regularly taught that equality of outcome trumps opportunity, whiteness is bad, and America itself is even worse.<\/p>\n<p>Even the C-suite has gone \u201cwoke,\u201d reading the left-wing tea leaves on social media to score cheap political points. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink\u2014a longtime <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/01\/18\/blackrock-ceo-larry-finks-support-for-fossil-fuels-criticized.html&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1ttjW15NFvs48sk5m9msHO\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/01\/18\/blackrock-ceo-larry-finks-support-for-fossil-fuels-criticized.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fossil-fuel investor<\/a> and <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/politics\/consumers-research-blasts-blackrocks-larry-fink-china&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw07ju7HHA0eXOxmG53cm-I3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/politics\/consumers-research-blasts-blackrocks-larry-fink-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supporter of the Chinese Communist Party<\/a>\u2014is now <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/01\/18\/larry-fink-next-1000-billion-dollar-start-ups-will-be-in-climate-tech.html&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3L-5Q20z8AuYEDNTSF2Dez\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2022\/01\/18\/larry-fink-next-1000-billion-dollar-start-ups-will-be-in-climate-tech.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">determined to end climate change<\/a> through \u201cthe decarbonizing of the global economy.\u201d <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/warnermedia-ceo-jason-kilar-tells-employees-racism-is-a-problem-for-company\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1YrrZmon1ffaYluwcvVno1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/warnermedia-ceo-jason-kilar-tells-employees-racism-is-a-problem-for-company\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According to WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar<\/a>, his company\u2019s black employees \u201cwake up every day and have fear,\u201d as \u201ctheir children cringe with anxiety.\u201d Meanwhile, Google executives are <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v%3DXhUgcYw9cj4&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3SNDsFMZPcuOPJhjNOdbMX\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XhUgcYw9cj4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">leveraging<\/a> \u201cdarker skin tones\u201d to sell Pixel phones\u2014with a dose of body positivity.<\/p>\n<p>When will enough be enough? Haven\u2019t people learned that woke CEOs exploit wokeness for profit?<\/p>\n<p>After then-Nike CEO Mark Parker signed off on the infamous Colin Kaepernick advertising campaign, the Left <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/09\/25\/nike-ceo-mark-parker-says-hes-very-proud-of-kaepernick-ad-campaign.html&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2yyMh4Fh7Xj3u8KZ6S5fUa\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/09\/25\/nike-ceo-mark-parker-says-hes-very-proud-of-kaepernick-ad-campaign.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cheered his name<\/a>. Little did liberals know that the Kaepernick ad, urging people to \u201cbelieve in something,\u201d would net Nike <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2018\/9\/24\/17895704\/nike-colin-kaepernick-boycott-6-billion&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3LIsnlGyApAQdJAJpjvyQf\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2018\/9\/24\/17895704\/nike-colin-kaepernick-boycott-6-billion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more than $6 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m naturally an optimist, but increasingly cynical in today\u2019s political climate. Even so, the recent evolution of the \u201cwoke CEO\u201d is still jarring. I\u2019ve been a CEO for over a decade, helping start or fund dozens of businesses small and large. The appeal of the C-suite has always been the no-nonsense approach to business\u2014add value, or else.<\/p>\n<p>The boardroom\u2019s bottom-line mentality has been a hallmark of capitalism for decades. And it has created immense wealth for all parties involved\u2014from C-suiters themselves to the general public. In any given year, S&#038;P 500 gains create <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/06\/10\/household-net-worth-climbs-to-136point9-trillion-thanks-to-big-stock-market-gains.html&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3yV4LWx9VJySgJtRN0V9X1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/06\/10\/household-net-worth-climbs-to-136point9-trillion-thanks-to-big-stock-market-gains.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trillions of dollars in equity wealth<\/a> for investors. Last year was no different, with the S&#038;P 500 posting a <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/12\/30\/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3BYFCPjD1-quoLk1NMW1sY\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/12\/30\/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nearly 27 percent gain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Through wokeness, we\u2019re \u201cfixing\u201d a system that isn\u2019t even broken. A woke CEO\u2014if that person is even <em>truly<\/em> woke\u2014contradicts capitalism. The most successful business leaders know not to wade into hot-button political issues that inherently create division and marginalize entire consumer segments. <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/elon-musk-doesnt-hold-back-at-its-heart-wokeness-is-divisive-exclusionary-and-hateful&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1BociMuWE7xaq-O6TCD45H\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/elon-musk-doesnt-hold-back-at-its-heart-wokeness-is-divisive-exclusionary-and-hateful\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">To quote Tesla CEO Elon Musk<\/a>, \u201cWokeness is divisive, exclusionary, and hateful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Nike\u2019s Kaepernick campaign appealed to liberal shoppers, how many untold consumers switched to Adidas or Reebok because of it? How many more grew frustrated with the politicization of everything?<\/p>\n<p>If the scourge of wokeness continues sweeping through boardrooms, businesses will suffer. So will the stock market and the U.S. economy writ large. America\u2019s job creators will lose out on human talent that is unfairly punished, such as <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/02\/14\/how-i-was-bullied-out-of-levis-by-the-intolerant-woke-mob\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw11HzmaB0-C9beQv0A2lz0-\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/02\/14\/how-i-was-bullied-out-of-levis-by-the-intolerant-woke-mob\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">former Levi\u2019s Brand President Jennifer Sey<\/a>. After daring to oppose COVID-related school shutdowns, Sey was hounded by the social media mob and eventually forced out by her colleagues at Levi\u2019s. And Levi\u2019s lost because of it: Open-mindedness sparks innovation in corporate America, whereas intolerance shuts it down.<\/p>\n<p>As CEOs embrace wokeness, there will be more casualties like Sey. There will be a brain drain in corporate America. And, eventually, companies have to count people like me out of the C-suite. We may be forced to recruit a cadre of anti-woke CEOs, who will refocus the boardroom on what truly matters\u2014business and the bottom line.<\/p>\n<p>Wokeness may be in, but the anti-woke CEO will win in the long run. Most Americans don\u2019t want business mixed with politics. The radical Left may believe in politicizing everything, but <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/thehill.com\/hilltv\/what-americas-thinking\/549599-poll-61-percent-said-it-is-inappropriate-for-corporations-to&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1AMCLBU3G8IxTa5KzxTicK\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/hilltv\/what-americas-thinking\/549599-poll-61-percent-said-it-is-inappropriate-for-corporations-to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more than 60 percent of Americans<\/a> believe it is inappropriate for companies to engage in political speech. While many CEOs enjoy wearing a woke hat, <a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/survey-ceos-are-far-more-eager-about-corporate-wokeness-than-consumers&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2v0rtjTkVU-rCPR5ZP3bDU\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/survey-ceos-are-far-more-eager-about-corporate-wokeness-than-consumers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">barely one-third of consumers<\/a> agree that corporate executives should speak out on social issues.<\/p>\n<p>Public opinion will prevail, and public opinion is anti-woke. The CEOs who realize it will be the most successful leaders in corporate America.<\/p>\n<p><em>Harrison Rogers is founder and CEO of Arizona-based\u00a0<\/em><a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/hjrglobal.com\/&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1645291188161000&#038;usg=AOvVaw3SfAS35MEHkwoGsJyb2lkl\" href=\"https:\/\/hjrglobal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>HJR Global<\/em><\/a><em>, and a serial entrepreneur and angel investor.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>| Posted: Feb 20, 2022 12:01 AM  The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1321497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1321497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1321497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1321497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1321497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1321497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1321497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}