People often think sustainability’s idea of benefitting others, in addition to
ourselves and our own business’s interests, is
“soft.”
But as a famous fighter pilot explained decades ago, the truth is the opposite.
On LinkedIn this week, I
wrote
about US Air Force pilot Colonel John
Boyd, who is said to have never lost a
dogfight — even when starting at a
disadvantage — and had a pioneering perspective on decision-making.
Boyd is best known for his concept of the OODA (Observe – Orient – Decide –
Act) loop for
decision-making — a framework that emphasizes the importance of rapid response
times in dynamic environments, which has become a cornerstone of present-day
military
strategy.
The OODA loop provides great insights for sustainability professionals on
improving responsiveness and adaptability in the face of challenges (which I
cover in more depth in my LinkedIn post) — in other words, the essence of
resilience.
However, less well known — but just as pertinent to our current
moment
— is something else he said: In A Discourse on Winning and
Losing
— a book compiling a series of briefings he wrote on the importance of OODA
loops in military strategy and maneuver warfare — Boyd listed three strategies
for isolating opponents. The third one was extremely relevant for sustainability
professionals, and it shows that benefiting others is of key strategic
importance — while being seen as acting only in your own interest is a real
disadvantage.
As Boyd wrote:
“Morally, our adversaries isolate themselves when they visibly improve their well-being to the detriment of others … by violating codes of conduct or behavior patterns that they profess to uphold or others expect them to uphold.”
In other words, decades ago, a prominent military strategist recognized just how
important it is to benefit others and to meet expectations for standards and
behavior.
Just like sustainability professionals have been trying to remind us for years.
Published Jun 11, 2025 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST