What does opportunity mean to you?
Unleashing the potential of Better Business to address the wicked problems of the world offers not only tremendous challenges, but also vast opportunities – ultimately to build a better future.
But what does opportunity mean to you? As inspiration, I’ve have selected some inspirational quotes from different eras and parts of the world to help get your mind on the journey.
OPPORTUNITY QUOTES
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
(Albert Einstein)
”A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.”
(Francis Bacon)
”Each of us has the potential to contribute… You have a great opportunity to make a new shape of the world.”
(Dalai Lama)
”The future will be in the hands of those of you who belong to the 21st century. You have the opportunity and responsibility to build a better humanity. This means developing warm-heartednes s in this very life, here and now. So, do whatever work you do, but ask yourselves now and then, ’How can I contribute to human beings being happier and more peaceful?'”
(Dalai Lama)
“Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.”
(Niccolo Machiavelli)
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
(Winston Churchill)
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
(Thomas A. Edison)
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
(Henry Ford)
“You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”
(Rahm Emanuel)
“Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed.”
(Mwai Kibaki)
“I hope everyone that is reading this is having a really good day. And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that.”
(Gillian Anderson)
“One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”
(Benjamin Disraeli)
“The two worst strategic mistakes to make are acting prematurely and letting an opportunity slip; to avoid this, the warrior treats each situation as if it were unique and never resorts to formulae, recipes or other people’s opinions.”
(Paulo Coelho)
“Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.”
(H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)
“Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems.”
(Sun Tzu)
“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.”
(William Arthur Ward)
EXPLORE BETTER BUSINESS
The Sustainability Revolution is here, and today’s sustainability trailblazers are leading the way. Still, Better Business is only a first, but urgent, milestone. Regenerative Business is where we will need to go long term. Better Business is however an area already well developed by trailblazers like Patagonia, Interface, Ørsted, Unilever, IKEA and Oatly. And, there is a lot to learn from them to accelerate this important transformation.
So, what do companies like Patagonia, Interface, IKEA, Unilever, Ørsted and Oatly have in common? First of all, they represent what we call Better Business. Also, they have learned to ride the waves of the Sustainability Revolution.
In its essence a Better Business can be described as a future-ready company with a long-term perspective – guided and inspired by its higher purpose. This helps the organisation create, deliver and capture value to its stakeholders. All while minimizing ecological and social costs, engaging its business ecosystem, and collaborating to change the world.
Better Business is not to be considered an end-destination in itself, but rather an opportunity to bridge the gap between business as usual and more regenerative business practices.
Read more in the new book, Better Business Better Future, written by Elisabet Lagerstedt, Founder and Principal of Future Navigators.
A great read for entrepreneurs, corporate business leaders, board members, and strategists aiming to integrating sustainability into the very core of their business, and accelerate the transformation to a Better Future.
Available in online book stores from mid-late January 2022.
About the author
Elisabet Lagerstedt
Elisabet Lagerstedt is the founder and director of Future Navigators. As a trusted advisor, consultant, and Executive Coach, she helps business leaders navigate beyond business as usual to build Better Business and co-create a better future - through insight, strategy, innovation, and transformation. Elisabet is also the author of Better Business, Better Future (2022) and Navigera in i Framtiden (2018).