Según el Foro Económico Mundial, los cinco principales riesgos globales percibidos para los próximos dos años son: la crisis del costo de vida, los desastres naturales y eventos climáticos extremos, las confrontaciones geoeconómicas, el fracaso en la mitigación del cambio climático y la polarización y la erosión de la cohesión social . Es decir, las contingencias que parecen dominar el futuro próximo de la humanidad corresponden a las esferas social, ambiental y geopolítica.
En todo caso, es la acción humana la que incide en las posibles condiciones adversas para nosotros mismos. Pasamos ya por una pandemia, pero parece que la consciencia adquirida en esos momentos de crisis fue fugaz. Una vez que el miedo desapareció, la tan nombrada nueva normalidad se evaporó y regresamos a los hábitos y a las costumbres anteriores a la emergencia sanitaria. No aprendimos nada.
En la estructura socioeconómica que vivimos en la mayor parte del planeta, si bien los Estados pueden guiar estrategias para prevenir dichos riesgos a través de políticas públicas consistentes, son las organizaciones económicas quienes tienen la capacidad de tomar acción y corregir estos escenarios. Las empresas conscientes, desde su rol e influencia en la sociedad, pueden dar respuestas para transformar sus comunidades en un entorno próspero, justo e incluyente.
Una empresa consciente, por definición, tiene un propósito fundamental con una perspectiva social donde la generación de riqueza económica es un medio, más no el fin. El verdadero destino de las empresas conscientes es la creación de valor para todos los grupos que tienen un interés en la empresa. Es entonces cuando la empresa consciente, se convierte en un bien de la sociedad.
Una organización que actúa con este entendimiento de su responsabilidad e influjo, toma decisiones en favor tanto de la interacción social como de la restauración ambiental, y genera modelos de negocio que resuelven efectivamente esas necesidades que son tan reales, que el día de hoy, representan un riesgo global.
Sin embargo, las empresas e instituciones no existen en el vacío. Si bien tienen capacidad de incidir en la cultura de la sociedad donde están inmersas, también son influidas por la misma. Al competir en sus mercados, enfrentan las mismas reglas del juego que nos han orillado a estas condiciones que amenazan la supervivencia humana: consumo rapaz de los recursos naturales, abusos laborales sistemáticos, corrupción y lucha por el poder, entre otros.
The World Economic Forum has identified the top five perceived global threats for the next two years as the cost of living crises, natural catastrophes, extreme weather occurrences, geoeconomic tensions, inability to control climate change, and polarization and degradation of social cohesion. In other words, the circumstances that appear to dominate humanity's immediate future are social, environmental, and geopolitical.
In any case, human conduct influences potential negative situations for ourselves. We had already been through a pandemic, but it appears that the consciousness gained during those times of crisis was transitory. Once the anxiety diminished, the much-discussed new normal faded away, and we reverted to our pre-health emergency routines and rituals. We did not learn anything.
In the majority of the world's socioeconomic structure, while nations may launch initiatives to prevent such dangers through consistent public policies, economic groups can take action and address these problems. Conscious businesses, by their role and influence in society, may respond to help their communities become more successful, fair, and inclusive.
A conscious business, by definition, has a basic purpose with a social perspective, with economic wealth growth serving as a means rather than a goal. The actual destiny of conscious businesses is to create value for all parties interested in the company. The conscious business consequently becomes beneficial to society.
An organization operating with this awareness of its responsibilities and power adopts actions that promote both social connection and environmental restoration, as well as economic models that effectively meet demands that are so real that they are now a worldwide risk.
However, businesses and organizations do not exist in a vacuum. While they can shape the culture of the society in which they live, they are also impacted by it. By competing in their marketplaces, they confront the same game rules that have led to the conditions that endanger human survival: greedy consumption of natural resources, systematic labor abuses, corruption, and power battles, among other things.
A company can act differently, supported by conscious leadership and solid probity, creating a dynamic in which it not only recognizes its stakeholders but integrates them into its business logic, generating such high value economically, environmentally, and socially that it fosters conditions that allow everyone to thrive.
A conscious company can cause a ripple effect, influencing its collaborators, suppliers, community, civil authorities, and even competitors, while also strengthening them to continue its mission even if market rules do not evolve in the same direction or at the same rate. It is precisely there that it might awaken society to a greater awareness of the environmental and social consequences of our way of life.
The global threats that endanger humanity's future can be mitigated through a cultural change in which we jointly act and make discernment-based judgments to pick what will bring us all to higher levels of well-being. This involves a change from polarization and disintegration to social unity; from individual success to shared flourishing; and from indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources to their conservation and renewal.
Growing in consciousness is a group effort. The first step is to recognize that there is only a future if it is shared. Hopefully, our human potential will be sufficient to change our reality before another global threat emerges.
Lilia Lopéz is a professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey, with a Ph.D. in administration. She has published multiple articles in globally indexed journals on Conscious Business, Social Responsibility, and Values in the Mexican Labour Context. She also has 15 years of expertise as a business consultant specializing in human resources and corporate strategy. She also writes business articles and columns.