Every day, we miss crucial elements of decision making. We often think too small and ignore the basis for all life: the planet we live on.
A week ago, on 1st August, Earth Overshoot Day 2018 happened. This is the day when all of humanity used a year's worth of resources – in the first seven months of 2018.
It's a confusing concept, since we continue to live, while using more and more resources. Think of it like this: Imagine you are the supply chain manager of a business. You stored all the resources that were allocated to your business by the global resources bank in a big warehouse. On 1st of August you realise that your warehouse is empty. To keep your business running, you will now need to use the resources that were originally planned for your business for next year. Because you are now using more than your fair share of resources, future businesses won’t be able to start or grow - there will be nothing left for them.
In all ancient wisdom traditions, there are various ways of stating the same basic truth: Humans must take from nature only what is necessary to sustain life. Not more.
Some of you might have heard of the Seven Generations Thinking. Oren Lyons, Chief of the Onondaga Nation, shares this wisdom that is highly relevant for business leaders today: "We are looking ahead, as is one of the first mandates given us as chiefs, to make sure and to make every decision that we make relate to the welfare and well-being of the seventh generation to come. ... What about the seventh generation? Where are you taking them? What will they have?"[1]
You would think that the fact of an early Earth Overshoot Day alone would put nature at the front of every business leader’s mind. Resources are becoming scarce – that is a massive risk for business on many different levels (health and wellbeing, supply chains, space, profits, etc.).
However, when it comes to decision making in business, not all decisions include nature (the big picture). We often think too small and don’t explore potential impacts. This thinking is complex, it is uncertain and it is uncomfortable. Nevertheless, we need to deal with the challenge as we can’t outrun it. And … no one will be able to hide from it. Even Elon Musk’s journey to Mars starts on planet earth and uses scarce resources from this planet.
Before anything will change in our economic systems, we need to upgrade our mindsets. Business processes, products and projects that use up resources AND stimulate consumerism are a challenge. Good news: there are solutions but a change of perspective and new thinking are the basis for better actions.
How can leaders improve their decision making to create broad wellbeing? Think differently…
- Increase awareness:
How will your new product, project, process impact the overall wellbeing of humanity and planet earth? - Clarify intentions:
Just because this is technologically / scientifically possible…do we really need this? - Explore knowledge:
What would allow you to not know and be ok with the uncertainty? How can you trust alternative sources of wisdom?
Often doing less is more but you will need a lot of courage to decide against the mainstream. How courageous are you feeling today?