Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization

Even in difficult times, leadership must be about empathy, authenticity, fairness and service. That's according to Darren Walker, the outgoing CEO of the Ford Foundation, a nonprofit with an endowment of billions of dollars and a charge to reduce poverty and injustice. Drawing on his own upbringing in rural Texas to his time at the helm of one of the world’s largest philanthropies, Walker explains how inequality erodes hope, why discomfort is essential for meaningful change, and how leaders can build the courage to speak honestly.

Share Podcast

[HBR IdeaCast podcast series]

HBR IdeaCast
Episode 1054

Purpose-Driven Leadership in an Era of Polarization

Listen | Podcast loading...

###

A conversation with Darren Walker, the outgoing head of the Ford Foundation.

• Subscribe:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

All episodes

Details

Transcript

November 25, 2025

Even in difficult times, leadership must be about empathy, authenticity, fairness and service. That’s according to Darren Walker, the outgoing CEO of the Ford Foundation, a nonprofit with an endowment of billions of dollars and a charge to reduce poverty and injustice. Drawing on his own upbringing in rural Texas to his time at the helm of one of the world’s largest philanthropies, Walker explains how inequality erodes hope, why discomfort is essential for meaningful change, and how leaders can build the courage to speak honestly.

• Subscribe On:

Apple

Spotify

RSS

Latest in this series

All episodes

This article is about PHILANTHROPY

** Follow this topic

** Following

Related Topics:

• Nonprofit organizations

• Leadership

• Politics

• Personal purpose and values

• Corporate social responsibility

• Social and global issues

• Social movements

• Income inequality

• Managing uncertainty

• Public administration and nonprofits

Original source