The Easter season is, above all, a time of joy. It represents the triumph of resurrection over condemnation — light after darkness, renewal after collapse. But this story could have unfolded differently. It only became a story of hope because life overcamed death. And that alone is already a powerful reflection for business in times of turbulence.
Like in the times of Jesus, we can choose to look at our current reality through different eyes — the eyes of fear and condemnation, or the eyes of belief and courage. Regardless of our personal faith, there is a widely shared understanding that Jesus stood for something profound: love, justice, mercy, forgiveness, and hope. However, because he was a menace to some installed powers, Jesus was at risk. In the end, even those who had witnessed compassion firsthand were swept up by a collective narrative that labelled him a criminal.
In today’s times the same happens with business and sustainability. We know the right path was been paved by many companies that compromised themselves with inclusion policies and climate targets, while making more money from within their core business. However, some powers installed, be them the oil and gas industry, the shareholder supremacy, the political power. the wealth imperative, have been challeging this way. More than that, they are trying to restrain the sustainability strategy of the ones that are paving the good direction, so needed in today’s world.
Easter is a story of rupture and rebirth. Of unbearable darkness followed by unexpected light. It shows us that transformation and high achievements require courage, sacrifice, and the willingness to deny many wrong directions. In the case of business, it invites leaders and companies to pause and ask: Should we be believers and don’t deny the good path, or should we just follow the wave of distrust, negacionism and condemenation that is eroding our economic and political ecossytem?
Jesus of Nazareth questioned systems of exclusion, broke social norms, placed the invisible at the center, and held the powerful to account. He healed those deemed untouchable. Listened to those whom society ignored. Elevated women’s voices in a patriarchal world. He entered spaces others avoided, and built bridges across divisions. Jesus was, in essence, a leader and a convict disruptor of exclusion and injustice, and a catalyst for inner and outer transformation. He spread his message knowing the consequences, and also convict that even after death, he could make it through a stronger life.
When we look at today’s companies —we can’t help but wonder: what would happen if we embraced that same spirit of courageous disruption, by following the good path and be in the right sie of the story, veen in times of turbulence? Probably we will be paving the way of the stronger leadership the world needs, and by doing that, while getting short term disruptions, we can conquer long term and durable long term advantages by doing the right thing.
This reflection is for the ones that are in the side of the believers. They dont change their mind at the first challenge for their faith and conviction. They don’t change their mind just because everyone around in following a different path out of scare of retaliation. Believers protect the truth, and they know, they by following the right strategy the future will be better for eveyone, inlcuding themselves.
Business, more than ever, need hope and wise to navigate turbulence with maestry and increasing success. If you are a leader in your company, we have no option that choosing now a side. Easter may be the moment for you to remember that bad times they dont endure for ever. They will pass. And after that, light will show up the virtue of the good choices. At the Center of responsible buisness and leadership we bieleve that Easter matters to business. It is a call to cross over. To die to systems that no longer serve for huamanity and the planet and to rise into a new form of leadership — one that regenerates rather than extracts, includes rather than isolates, and listens rather than dominates.
So this Easter, we offer no answers — only an invitation:
Let this be the season where your company chooses rebirth over fear.
Where it dares to lead for humanity, and a better planet, and not only for the fear ofretaliation
Where inclusion becomes the foundation, not the afterthought.
Where business and society are not in tension — but in harmony.
Have and happy Easter time!
Have a great and impactful week!
Filipa Pires de Almeida
Executive Director at the Center for Responsible Business & Leadership
Mafalda Sarmento Researcher and Project Developer at the Center for Responsible Business & Leadership | Sustainability Officer at CATÓLICA-LISBON