Every kid in the universe knows what’s it’s like to want to grow up and change the world. That innate desire to make a difference starts in us the moment we begin to figure out ambition, and sustainability puts that power into our hands.
The power to lead sustainability is in our hands, but the sustainability equation is a bit more complicated than expressing intent or simply cutting costs. Instead, a sustainability agenda starts with cost counting. We can’t just slash our budgets in certain places and call it sustainability. A true sustainability approach means starting from scratch. In every business in America, there is money lying on the table in the form of inefficiencies. Removing these inefficiencies will contribute directly and immediately, to your bottom line.
But let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. First, what is sustainability? One definition I like is – sustainability is meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of future generations. If we keep this concept in mind as we make our day-to-day and long term planning decisions for our businesses we will have a good start to leading sustainability.
The global sustainability movement is growing across industries and this motivates me everyday to do better. There is a wave of action and engagement we have not experienced before. Capture some of this momentum for your organization and move forward in a more profitable and positive manner.
So what does sustainability entail? In terms of landscape maintenance, it means reducing inputs like water, fertilizer and fuel. It also means reducing outputs like green waste, water pollution, and air pollution. There are many ways to achieve these goals (Just review the articles on this blog). What it takes is someone to lead the change
Sustainability tactics
Now is the time to use the momentum of the sustainability movement to accelerate your businesses in a way that drives you to become more profitable with better, more sustainable products. And you know what the really good news is? You don’t have to have a corner office to be a sustainability leader. You just need to motivate others to change and the best way to do this is:
- Inspire others by helping them see a vision of the future
- Provide clear goals for sustainability
- Challenge the standard approaches
- Build trust in your judgment
- Have courage
- Make change a top priority
Every single one of us can influence and motivate those around us to be more sustainable. This will be good for business and for the environment. The only question remaining is, are you ready to lead? If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing or follow me on twitter @H2oTrends.