The hour seems dark

The hour seems dark for many. All across the last few weeks, I heard similar questions on the Sustainability meetings I attended. “Is organization X still committed to its ESG targets?”; “How will the Board react to the investors increasing pressure to deliver immediate results vs the longer-term sustainability commitments?”. I read a similar tone in the Women’s Day posts of the past weekend. Good people (some of them the most competent, professional, intelligent I ever met) expressed their concerns, said they feel the world is moving backwards on Women’ Rights. I read all of these, and I nod, I understand.

But I then have a “but”. “But…”. But… these were never short-term fights. But… we always knew these changes take time. But… we need to recognize that progress is made of backs and fore’s. But… we should remind ourselves that we are not alone, we are millions, we are committed.

But… We are not doing it only for ourselves. We are doing it for the ones who depend on our will, on us. The ones who don’t have a voice that is strong enough, that are invisible to the masses, that feel they don’t have any power (but should have). The ones who are balancing between what is right or immediate. The ones… well, the ones that we are raising, that we commit to with everything we have.

But… as Victor Hugo once said “You can’t stop an idea whose time has come”. And these ideas, a better planet for all of us, freedom, the right to be different and voice a different opinion, a different way of doing things, globally. Well, they just sound like, you know, “the future”. That we are all shaping.

P.S- And yes, there is an incredible and proven business value in all I have written. Maybe one just needs the right attitude to unlock it, now and for the future. And shape and grab the opportunities on days to come (and that might be tomorrow, really).