From the Editor

that successful economies depend IF THERE WAS EVER ANY DOUBT upon a healthy population, it has likely been erased in the past year. COVID-19 has shown us that societal issues are not just legitimate areas of concern for business — they are sources of both risk and opportunity. Like market forces, societal forces can profoundly affect the competitive environment.

This crisis has further validated the Business Roundtable’s pre-pandemic statement on corporate purpose, when 181 CEOS pledged a commitment to five stakeholder groups: customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders. As we have seen, if one member of this group is too weak to play its role, the entire system can quickly crumble.

In this issue of Rotman Management, we put the spotlight on what has become the Holy Grail for organizations, economies and individuals alike: Health.

We kick the issue off on page 6 with Leading the Way to Recovery, the story of how the Creative Destruction Lab — founded by Rotman Professor Ajay Agrawal and now running at nine locations worldwide — redeployed its resources last March to focus on finding solutions to the global crisis.

While the long-term economic implications of COVID-19 are not yet fully understood, former Bank of Montreal CEO Tony Comper argues that lessons from earlier crises can guide those responsible for the recovery, in Crisis Management: Lessons from the C-suite on page 50.

On page 62, Accenture’s Janet Krstevski, Sonia Mathur and Sarah Berger show that by supporting six dimensions of well-being, companies position themselves for a stronger future, in Unlocking Employee Potential: A Framework for Success.

Elsewhere in the issue, Sandra Rotman Chaired Professor in Health Sector Strategy Brian Golden argues that healthcare is a key driver of prosperity on page 26; NYU Professor Pamela Newkirk shares key insights from her book, Diversity Inc. with Rotman Professor Sonia Kang on page 94; Globe and Mail columnist André Picard says it’s time to start respecting our elders on page 97; and Rotman alumna and GE Canada CEO of Heather Chalmers looks at the challenges of leading through a pandemic on page 110.

As COVID-19 continues to linger for longer than many of us had hoped, we must remind ourselves that it has been during times of disruption and chaos that we have seen some of the biggest changes in our economy and society.

During her presentation to the Creative Destruction Lab’s Vision Council last fall, Canadian author and Vision Council member Margaret Atwood pointed out that, “Historically, crises cause great rearrangements.” She went on to say that ours could include a redistribution of wealth and a widespread reconsideration of how we interact with the natural world.

What exactly will the forthcoming rearrangement look like? While we don’t yet know, the good news is that if you are reading this, you can help to shape the answer. We hope this issue gets you thinking about the healthier future that we all want to create.

Karen Christensen, Editor in Chief

editor@rotman.utoronto.ca Twitter: @Rotmanmgmtmag