The operating environment we’re in has never been more challenging for business leaders, and in fact because the word ‘challenging’ doesn’t really cut it – the acronym VUCA (volatile, uncertain, challenging and ambiguous) better captures our current reality.
Traditional approaches to sustainability aren’t keeping pace to build resilient businesses. And, coupled with converging external pressures – climate change, resource constraints, and societal expectations – our strategic planning demands a rethink.
🌱
The Misconception of Sustainability
For too long, sustainability has been viewed as separate to core business, and only about reporting and compliance – or even more erroneously – marketing claims. These narrow views miss the core truth: sustainability is about ensuring long-term business continuity amidst changing conditions. It’s not a nice-to-have, rather a must-have, and should be treated as fundamental to commercial strategy.
🌱
The Imperative for Change
In this VUCA world, change is inevitable, and as business leaders we face a choice: adapt proactively or react under extreme duress.
If we learned anything from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that external forces outside of our control do not politely wait for policy to be in place. And they aren’t politically partisan either – which means that taking action isn’t about our politics.
🌱
Sustainability as Strategic Advantage
Forward-thinking companies that embrace Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are already seeing the benefits. Research consistently shows that businesses prioritising sustainability and purpose beyond profit outperform their peers financially. So this is more than a moral plea. We’re talking about securing a competitive edge in an increasingly complex world.
🌱
A New Approach to Sustainability
To truly future-proof our businesses, we need to:
- Redefine sustainability as central to business continuity in a VUCA world.
- Rethink your value proposition to ensure long-term viability.
- Integrate sustainability into core strategy from the top down.
🌱
Taking Authentic Sustainability Action
As business leaders, we must:
- Take a blinkers off approach to educating ourselves and leadership teams about risks and opportunities
- Bravely act decisively to build resilience for our organisations and future generations
- Embrace the long-term payoff – not just in financial terms – but in preserving what truly matters.
🌱
The Path Forward
Sustainability as we know it today is not fit for purpose – because it hasn’t delivered the pace or scale of change required for true resilience.
This in itself presents us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity: to co-create a future where thriving businesses contribute to a thriving planet.
Are you ready to take the blinkers off and future-proof your business? We have no time to lose.
🌱
Check out our Sustainability Reality Check – it’s a sustainability assessment with a wild twist.
We’ll help you understand your negative and positive impacts and the risk to the relevance of your business, so you know the scale of work to be done to future-proof. It’s a short, sharp assessment project to help you gain clarity and direction for next steps.
