A reflection by the course convenor for our Corporate Transitions in Sustainable Futures short course, Makha Baloyi
“I remember the days I used to look forward to my dad buying the newspaper. Not to keep up with the headlines (though I’m sure he wished I was that astute at that age), but to flip to the back where I could complete the crosswords and read the comic strips. I would skip the “boring parts”.
There’s no “skipping the boring parts” now. We are operating in a state of polycrisis. Every headline on geopolitical instability, human rights violations, inequality and climate change, adds to the mental overhead that we carry with us everywhere, especially at work.
The concept of “business as usual” feels more like a collective dissociation we’ve all fallen into. I wish more of us talked about the professional whiplash of needing to critically engage with these systemic risks one minute, then pivot to writing a proposal or quarterly report the next. The cognitive and emotional compartmentalisation required is immense.
This tension is something I continue to grapple with. How do you channel the urgency of South Africa’s complex challenges into meaningful, systemic impact while still excelling at the daily demands of your role?
This is why I value the approach of the Corporate Transitions for Sustainable Futures short course at the The Sustainability Institute. It’s one of the few spaces I’ve come across that doesn’t ask you to compartmentalise. Instead, we are challenged to develop strategies that are resilient to disruption, and turn systemic risks into avenues for innovation. This course provides frameworks and tools to develop the type of leadership and strategy that is responsive to this complex reality. What I appreciate most, however, is the peer community that is built. Few things are as validating as knowing you are not on this journey alone.
If this tension resonates with you, and you’re looking for a space to unpack these challenges with other professionals, I invite you to explore The Sustainability Institute’s short courses website.”