That isn’t a headline or analogy you see every day, is it? Even so, there really are practical lessons here as well as something a little fun. Readers already know I’m a fan of bull riding. I tried my own hand at it with longhorn cows and steers last year after I turned 60 (perhaps not the best age to start the hobby, although recent health issues forced me to give it up already). The movie Field of Dreams is a favorite of mine, being one of only two movies I own.
These two things are wholly dissimilar, yet they provide usable and memorable lessons in ESG.
Let’s start with bull riding. JB Mauney is a recently-retired professional bull rider known as The Dragonslayer, with more winnings than any other rider in history. He now coaches a bull riding team and has a YouTube channel. Not long ago, he posted a video about properly mounting a bull in the chute. He summarized the lesson with this:
“When you crawl up in there, mean it. Can’t be timid. If you’re scared … [the bull] will know it.”
ESG/sustainability leaders, staff and advisors: You can’t be timid or unsure about the relevance, credibility or value of your company (or client) ESG/sustainability programs and activities. If you aren’t fully confident in the programs and their value, others – executives, management, operations – will know. So will external stakeholders and investors who do their own ESG due diligence.
Moving to Field of Dreams, the iconic line “If you build it, they will come” worked magic in Iowa, but it isn’t viable as an ESG/sustainability strategy.
ESG/sustainability leaders, staff and advisors: Executives, management or operations aren’t likely to simply accept that ESG/sustainability efforts and costs are inherently beneficial to the company/client. You have to convince them that the programs are a valuable investment of resources – i.e., that there is a clear business benefit or return on the investment.
Both of these risks have a common solution: Be prepared to defend the linkage between ESG/sustainability initiatives and the company’s business fundamentals. Show confidence, don’t be unsure or meek. We posted a blog series on that earlier this year (here is the initial post. The final post in the series is here, which contains links to the others) and members can access checklists and guidebooks to build the business case and your confidence in bringing it to internal and external audiences.
Our members can learn more about the business value of ESG/sustainability here.
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