The 10 Biggest Risks That Companies And Organizations Are Facing Today
By Erward Segal
The 10 biggest risks facing companies today underscore an important reality about preparing for the next crisis—the nature of the risks that can trigger a crisis are always subject to change.
The top threat that is now confronting companies is disinformation that is often driven by polarized political agendas, according to the latest quarterly Reputation Risk Index that was conducted by the Global Risk Advisory Council. Compare that risk to the Council’s Index for the first quarter of the year, in which the misuse of AI was the top-ranked threat.
The most surprising result of the new research is how quickly the biggest threat changed between th first and second quarters. The misuse of AI, which was the top-ranked risk in the three months of 2025, dropped out of the top ten, while disinformation, which was previously unranked, rose to the #1 spot. That’s according to Cate Costa, a member of the Council and former vice president for corporate philanthropy and small business at JP Morgan Chase, who shared that perspective with me in an email message.
In the second quarter of this year, “disinformation has taken the spotlight, reflecting continued anxieties around how technology is shaping public discourse,” she observed. “While these risks are intertwined—growing concern about disinformation is fueled, at least in part, by the rise of generative AI—this volatility proves that business leaders must look beyond today’s headlines to be prepared for the threats of tomorrow. Relying solely on last quarter’s data is insufficient. Success in this environment demands foresight to get ahead of what’s next,” Costa warned.
The Index shows that risk triggers can vary depending on geography, politics, and other factors. “European risks primarily center around concerns about corporate behavior, perceptions of anti-competitive actions, and CEO actions top the Index. Even as the [Trump] administration pushes companies to ease climate commitments, Brussels and stakeholders across the Atlantic are keeping pressure on the private sector, as it comes in as the third top issue in the market. Disinformation is the one major risk shared with Americans and leads overall this quarter,” according the Council’s report about the results of the research project.
The 10 Greatest Risks
The 10 greatest risks to companies in the U.S., according to the Council’s new Index, are ranked and defined as follows:
Disinformation. The deliberate spread of false or misleading information which can harm credibility or reputation.
Data privacy violations. Violations of a person’s right rto control how their personal data is collected, used, or shared.
Corruption. Dishonest or unethical behavior by an organization or its leaders, including government-related bribery or abuse of power for personal gain.
Organizational ethics failures. When a company violates ethical standards leading to reputational or legal consequences.
Major operational disruptions. Events including natural disasters (e,g. wildfires, pandemics) or human-caused crises (e.g, shootings, explosions).
Controversies involving CEOs, Scrutiny or public criticism of a CEO's behavior, decisions, or potential departure that could undermine investor or public confidence.
Ties to China. Real or perceived connections to the Chinese government, companies, or foreign nationals, often raising concerns about influence or security.
Climate change/environmental harms. Actions or impacts that harm the environment or contribute to climate change, such as pollution, emissions, or deforestation.
Anticompetitiveness/antitrust. Business or government actions that restrict competition, leading to higher prices, lower quality, reduced service levels, or less innovation. Includes unfair market practices, monopolistic behavior, and legislation aimed at preventing or regulating trusts and monopolies to ensure fair competition.
Intellectual property/copyright/trademark infringement. Claims of copying creative works, inventions, or ownership, including unauthorized use, reproduction, or pawned or trademarked material.
The research was commissioned by public relations firm Global Situation Room. For the latest quarterly Index, online news articles were analyzed from February 16 to May 15, 2025. From that analysis, the Global Risk Advisory Council surveyed its members between June 9 and June 29, 2025. The Council includes more than 100 former heads of state, C-suite executives, and public affairs leaders from around the world, the organization said in a statement I received via email.
Other Risks And Threats
The threats that are facing companies can also depend on other variables, as noted in my informal survey of CEOs and other business observers.
Misalignment And Burnout
“One of the biggest risks I see right now—both from my time as a CEO and in my coaching work—is misalignment at the leadership level. When founders or senior teams aren’t crystal clear on vision, priorities, or roles, that confusion ripples through the company. It kills morale, slows execution, and leads to quiet quitting or high turnover—especially in small to midsize companies trying to scale,” Pete Srodoski a business coach said in an email interview.
“The other major risk? Burnout. Especially among owners and top performers. When a company lacks an operating rhythm, everything feels urgent, nothing gets traction, and even the best leaders end up buried in reactive work,” he explained.
“The biggest risk I see right now? Actually, not competitive threats or tech disruption, but misalignment between brand and business strategy. Companies are making big bets [on technology and new markts] but their positioning doesn’t keep pace. That disconnect kills deals, erodes trust, and confuses internal teams making them look muddy at best and a total mess at worst,” Lauryn Warnick, CEO at Villain Branding.
Tariffs
“The biggest risk facing my company today is tariffs and increased duties,”Amrita Bhasin co-founder and CEO of Sotira, which helps retailers and brands to offload and monetize unsold inventory.
“One seemingly tiny change in procurement, production timeline, freight costs, cargo delay or duty fee increase has a domino effect on the rest of the supply chain and leads to waste, delays and inefficiencies. Supply chain and logistics depend on each other and there are a lot of moving parts involved in getting products manufactured abroad and in the hands of Americans in a timely manner. Tariffs have resulted in our company having to alter shipping paths or accept higher container costs or import/export fees,” according to Bhasin.
Denial
The biggest risk to most companies today is the denial by corporate leaders about basic realities, Patrice Williams-Lindo, CEO of Career Nomad, told me in an email interview. She said that includes “denial your ‘retained’ talent is already emotionally checked out. Denial that your brand is invisible in a market where noise now outpaces value.Denial that AI isn’t a magic bullet—without human trust and upskilling, it’s a loaded gun pointed at your own culture.”
The changing nature of risks and threats to companies and organizations reinforces the need for business leaders to review and update their crisis management plans and scenarios on a regular basis. Otherwise, their plans to respond to a new type of crisis could be be outdated and useless.