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Why Social Impact Should Matter to CEOs
Most CEOs care about profits. That’s expected. But the best ones also care about people. And that’s where social impact comes in.
Running a business that helps people isn’t just good ethics. It’s smart strategy. Studies show that 77% of consumers are more likely to buy from companies committed to making the world better. That’s not a trend. That’s a signal.
And it’s not just customers. Workers care too. In a 2023 report from Cone Communications, 64% of employees said they won’t take a job at a company that doesn’t have a clear social mission. People want to work for something that matters.
If your business only exists to make money, you’ll fall behind.
Building Something That Solves a Real Problem
John Theodore Zabasky built his company to fix a problem that no one else was solving. He saw that millions of part-time and seasonal workers had no healthcare. So in 2013, he launched WorXsiteHR with one big idea—make healthcare free for the people who need it most.
Zabasky didn’t use flashy branding or PR stunts. He just built a system. He partnered with a nonprofit. Then he structured a plan to cover healthcare for workers at no cost.
That plan, the HealthWorX Plan, now helps thousands of people. Many of them work in jobs most people don’t think about—janitors, retail staff, farmworkers.
“I remember one guy in Kansas,” Zabasky said. “He worked at a meatpacking plant. His kids hadn’t seen a doctor in two years. After enrolling, they all got checkups in one week. That’s the kind of thing that sticks with you.”
It’s a specific example. It’s the kind of thing that makes social impact real.
Stop Thinking Charity, Start Thinking Systems
Social impact doesn’t mean giving away free stuff. It means designing your business to solve something big. Something real.
Zabasky didn’t run a giveaway. He built a repeatable model. His nonprofit now provides over $100 million each year in services and premiums. And the system works because it’s designed like a business. Not a donation.
That’s the lesson. Don’t build one-time campaigns. Build permanent structures that create value for people. Think systems, not handouts.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s break down why this works:
- 79% of business leaders say purpose is key to success, but only 34% say it guides their decision-making (PwC).
- Companies with strong social impact strategies outperform the market by 5–7% annually (Harvard Business Review).
- 60% of Gen Z consumers say they will boycott brands they see as harmful to society (Forrester).
This isn’t fluff. Social impact is a factor in recruitment, customer retention, and even investor relations. It’s not just “nice.” It’s necessary.
Action Steps for CEOs Who Want to Start
1. Identify a Real Problem
Pick something that matters. Not just to you, but to your customers, your employees, or your community. It should be something measurable. Something urgent.
Example: lack of internet access for rural customers. Or food insecurity among hourly employees.
Ask your people what they care about. That’s your starting point.
2. Build It Into Your Business Model
Don’t treat impact like a side project. Bake it into how you operate. If you sell shoes, maybe every pair funds a local job-training program. If you run a software company, maybe you offer free tools for nonprofits.
Whatever you do, make it part of the business—not a marketing campaign.
3. Keep It Real and Measurable
Track your impact. Share the results. Show what changed because of what you did. This builds trust and helps you improve.
Zabasky didn’t just say, “We help people.” He showed how many people got healthcare. How many dollars were saved. How many lives were improved.
If you can’t measure it, it’s probably just a slogan.
4. Tell Real Stories
Skip the buzzwords. Tell stories about actual people. Like Zabasky did with the dad in Kansas.
Real names (with permission), real problems, real solutions. That’s what sticks in people’s minds. That’s what makes people care.
5. Keep Scaling, But Keep Listening
As your business grows, so should your impact. But don’t lose sight of the people you’re trying to help.
What worked last year might not work now. Needs change. Stay in touch with the people your business is serving. Keep asking questions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating impact as a trend. This isn’t a TikTok challenge. It’s a responsibility.
- Making the story about your brand, not the people you’re helping.
- Focusing on shiny PR instead of deep change.
- Ignoring feedback from the people you claim to support.
If you do it wrong, people will notice.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
The world is changing fast. Workers want meaning. Customers want action. Communities want fairness. If you’re a CEO today, your job isn’t just growth. It’s relevance.
If you don’t help solve problems, you will become one.
CEOs like John Theodore Zabasky are ahead because they didn’t wait for permission to make things better. They saw a gap. Then they filled it.
And that’s what leadership should be about.
