My grandfather was my idol. He could do anything he put his hands on, yet he always said, ‘I am just a dumb farmer’. This dumb farmer was the smartest and bravest person I knew. During the Cold War, he wrote a letter to Gorbachev, inviting him to visit Moscow, Kansas, to meet real Americans and see we are all the same. He showed me that if you want to do something, go do it. If you don’t know how, learn how.
I have always felt I am meant to do something spectacular. My life has either shaped or confirmed this feeling. Until now, my something spectacular has been building a craft brewery in the Swiss Alps with the purpose to make the world a better place one beer at a time. This idea was brewed up through a mixture of life experiences, some opened my eyes, others brought me to my knees. Yet, all have shaped who I am and how I act in the world.
The brewery that is my definition of a sustainable business is becoming more autonomous and I find myself at an important inflection point in my career. Instead of focusing on the day-to-day activities of the brewery, I am able to look further into the future, both personally and professionally. As I think about what the future has to offer, I am concerned that important aspects of the shift towards sustainability are being overlooked.
Sustainability is a word that found its way into our everyday vocabulary, but many don’t really know what it means. In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (un.org) While this is a reasonable explanation of basic sustainability, it leaves room for interpretation. A simple google search shows that we don’t have a common understanding of needs. This allows us to form a selfish interpretation, justifying our inaction. Considering our common needs will allow us to see that we are interdependent and need to care for one another.
I am evolving my “something spectacular” into work that will help society move towards sustainability through interdependence and caring. An important next step is to identify behaviours necessary to ensure interdependence. Books like “Dare to Unlead” by Celine Schillinger, and “Rebalancing Society” by Henry Mintzberg are confirming my beliefs that working collectively will help transfer power from the top of the organization to the people doing the daily work.
I am confident my topic will contribute significantly to the body of knowledge on sustainability, and will dedicate the next phase of my life to putting this research into action. I see a need to incorporate this research into university curriculum, as well as industry application. I truly believe this is an important element in ensuring our sustainable future, and hope you agree.