🔄 Adaptability Is the Job Now
If you lead sustainability, you already know this: the ground is always shifting.
Regulations evolve. Budgets change. Priorities move.
Right now, we’re in one of those phases again.
Many are feeling it — and it’s showing up across our internal sessions and TSC member exchanges:
→ Regulatory momentum is slowing
→ Internal buy-in is less certain
→ And the case for sustainability has to be made again. In different terms.
Plot twist: For the leaders driving sustainability, this isn’t a new challenge.
One member put it clearly:
“We had two years of hype, but most of my career has been about pushing this work forward without clear mandates.”
This is the job. It always has been.
And it reminded us of something: the one trait more valuable than any other in moments like these.
Not just as a skill — but as the essence of the role:
"Adaptability"
⚙️ Most aren't executing a fixed plan. They’re shaping it in real time
It’s easy to think of adaptability as something extra. A skill you lean on when things don’t go to plan.
But what if there was never a clear plan to begin with?
That’s the reality for many in this field, especially now.
With regulations in flux, political signals shifting, and internal buy-in wobbling, leaders are being asked to stay the course without a stable map.
You’re not executing a strategy that’s already written.
You’re shaping it as you go. That means translating vague mandates, building systems from scratch, convincing others why the work still matters, and recalibrating constantly as the ground moves beneath your feet.
As one member put it:
“We’ve had to design our work as we go. There’s no template for what we’re doing. Just a constant need to align, adapt, and keep momentum without waiting for perfect clarity.”
In that sense, adaptability isn’t a soft skill. It’s the core of the role.
🧭 What this currently looks like in practice
Adaptability isn’t abstract. It shows up in how leaders respond when the ground shifts, and in how they hold steady when it matters.
One member shared how, post-Omnibus, they’ve become a full-time myth-buster:
“I spend half my time correcting people who think due diligence is optional now. At an industry event, someone literally asked if we’re skipping the Supply Chain Act. I had to explain it’s still legally binding.”
The strategy hasn’t changed. But the narrative around it has.
Now they’re spending time re-justifying the basics. Not by rewriting plans, but by reframing them.
Another member said internal support has started to wobble:
“We had strong buy-in during the CSRD rollout, but now I’m sensing more questions. Is this still worth prioritizing? Do we really have to do it now?”
So they shifted the framing. From reporting obligation to investor readiness.
They’re anchoring the work in risk and resilience, not just compliance.
And in a fast-growing tech company, one member described a very different kind of pressure:
“We never had regulatory pressure to begin with. That forced us to get really clear. Why are we doing this? What actually moves the needle for us? We’ve had to continuously test and adapt our approach without waiting for permission.”
Adaptability, in all these cases, isn’t about reacting to change for the sake of it. It’s about knowing when to pivot, when to stay the course, and how to make that visible to the rest of the business.
🌱 Change isn’t the exception. It’s the (new?) normal
This isn’t just a difficult moment. It’s what the job has always been.
And it’s what the job will keep being — shaped by geopolitics, operational changes, investor demands, and evolving technologies.
The sustainability leaders who thrive won’t be the ones with the most polished plans.
They’ll be the ones who can read the room, reframe when needed, and hold the long-term direction through short-term noise.
Because the goal hasn’t changed.
And real leadership means helping others stay connected to it, even when the path isn’t obvious.
📩 What are you navigating right now?
Let us know how this is showing up in your role.
How you're adapting. What’s working. What isn’t.
Reply here — we’d love to feature your perspective in a future edition.
🗓️ What’s Happening Next Week
09.07 — Roundtable: "Scope 3 - Driving Decarbonization With — and Through — Suppliers"
Managing Scope 3 emissions remains one of the toughest challenges for sustainability leaders, demanding supplier collaboration, data accuracy, and cross-functional alignment. This roundtable explores how to move from reporting to real reduction — and where gaps still remain.
👉 RSVP and learn more
11.07 — Leadership Mindset Session: "Leading people through transformation"
"You’ve got the strategy and the roadmap. Now comes the hard part: getting people on board. This interactive session is for leaders turning transformation into something people believe in and act on."
👉 RSVP and learn more
— Max 💜
P.S. Thinking about becoming a member? Visit our website to learn more about membership and see if it’s the right fit for you. 👉 Learn more
