Navigating CEO Sociopolitical Engagement: Implications for HRD

ABSTRACT This article examines how CEOs navigate sociopolitical engagement and the implications for human resource development (HRD). Drawing on qualitative data from semi‐structured interviews with 15 public and private U.S. CEOs who have engaged in sociopolitical issues, the study explores how leaders interpret and respond to contested social and political events affecting their organizations. Thematic analysis shows that sociopolitical engagement involves moral sensemaking, leadership identity work, emotional and cognitive complexity, employee voice, and stakeholder management. Findings highlight how employees often act as catalysts and partners in collective sensemaking, while leaders translate values into organizational policies and practices. The article outlines implications for HRD in developing leaders' ethical discernment, enabling employee dialogue, and embedding organizational learning systems that support responsible engagement in sociopolitical contexts.