Know When To Hold 'em

About this episode

Emma Burlow discusses when to push, pause, pivot, or fold sustainability efforts in business amidst changing priorities.

Welcome to this week's episode of Straight Talking Sustainability! Host Emma Burlow takes inspiration from "The Gambler" song to explore when to push, pause, pivot, or fold your sustainability efforts within your business, particularly when sustainability is being deprioritised. Key Topics Covered Sustainability's Changing Environment The landscape for sustainability in business has shifted dramatically, with economic, political, and leadership pressures reshaping priorities. warns that sticking to outdated strategies risks "extinction" and stresses the importance of adapting to survive ( 04:37 ). Survival of the Fittest Drawing on the analogy from a previous episode, reminds listeners that survival isn't about being the strongest, but best fitting the environment as it changes ( 03:33 ). The ability to evolve, morph, and pause is emphasized as vital. Knowing When to Hold Your Cards Sustainability professionals often feel compelled to defend their initiatives relentlessly. The episode argues that sometimes, holding your cards—pausing a project or delaying an initiative—is actually the winning move ( 06:30 ). Pushing sustainability when it's unpopular can lead to burnout and…

People in this episode

Host: Emma Burlow

Topics covered

• sustainability
• business strategy
• adaptation
• trust building
• organizational change

Keywords

• sustainability
• business
• adaptation
• trust
• strategy
• environment
• leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Gambler

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