Higher Ground

Winner of the 2024 Porchlight Business Book Award for Leadership & Strategy

“…a smart and surprisingly quick read on managing issues that could topple corporate leaders without them realising.” — Financial Times

“…a very practical guide for CEOs.” — Impact Investing

Advance Praise for Higher Ground:

“A fresh, realistic guide to navigating the complex social and political pressures businesses face today.” — Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer, Salesforce

“Alison Taylor charts a sensible path for businesses that want to deliver profits for their stockholders while respecting those whose lives their conduct affects. Her practical recommendations for companies to do the right thing build on common ground, transcending partisan labels at a time when restoring the ties that bind us is an urgent priority.” — Leo E. Strine Jr., former Chancellor and Chief Justice, Delaware; Michael L. Wachter Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

“Join Alison Taylor for a globe-spanning trek to higher ground through some of the most pressing issues of our time. Filled with insights from her remarkable career and told in her sharp and engaging style, Higher Ground is a timely and compelling read.” — Forrest Deegan, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Victoria’s Secret

“Finally, a book about business and ethics that’s fit for the twenty-first century. Every executive should pay attention to this book.” — R. Edward Freeman, University Professor and Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration, UVA Darden School of Business

“In Higher Ground, Alison Taylor masterfully connects the dots between governance, compliance, ethics, sustainability, and the purpose of a company. She untangles the complexity with surgical precision while remaining empathetic with those who honestly try to do the right thing without being perfect. Definitely a must-read!” — Klaus Moosmayer, Chief Ethics, Risk, and Compliance Officer and member of the Executive Committee, Novartis

“A blunt, surprising, inspiring, no-bullsh*t guide to what it really means to be a solid business today and into the future. If you’re looking for a way out of the rhetoric and confusion, start with this book and follow Alison Taylor’s insightful critique of the evolving business and society landscape.” — Jessica Hyman, Chief Sustainability Officer, Atlassian

“A practical guide to holding on to your values in a polarized world of work. Alison Taylor has extensive experience working with leaders on responsibility and ethics, and her recommendations are principled and pragmatic.” — Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Think Again and Hidden Potential; host, ReThinking podcast

Alison Taylor is a clinical professor at NYU Stern School of Business and executive director at Ethical Systems, a research collaboration based at NYU and focused on building more ethical organisational cultures. She has spent decades advising large multinationals on risk, corruption, sustainability, and organisational culture.