Sex, Sustainability and iPhones

So what are they, and how can they be applied? Firstly, establishing a clear vision. Steve Jobs set that vision as a company that made great products. We’ve already seen we can similarly set vision for the planet: a sustainable world. Secondly, there was focus. The product range was reduced to four products, the important ones, which meant everyone’s energy was focused on getting them right. We can similarly identify the major challenges we have on the planet at the moment, population, as we have seen, climate change, energy, food and water, biodiversity, as well as health, education, financial and political stability.

The third principle was breaking down the silos. There were many other companies who had the same capabilities, perhaps even more, who could not get everyone working together to bring these capabilities together into a common plan. Apple was able to do this. To get everyone to come together under a common plan to achieve a common vision.

And we can achieve a similar result by developing a plan - a plan for the planet. This plan then becomes the map to allow us to move from potential bankruptcy on our planet to success. It provides a framework by which all levels can come together, business, government and the community, to work together to build a sustainable world.

Sound like a pipe dream? As Winston Churchill put it so well ‘Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail.’ We have the knowledge, we have the global management capabilities, and we have to make it work. We only have one planet. We therefore cannot afford to fail.