“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence itself, but to act with yesterday’s logic.” —Barack Obama

President Obama shared this insight during a pivotal moment in U.S. history in 2008 during his presidential campaign, but its relevance extends far beyond politics. Corporations today face a different kind of turbulence—an era of accelerating climate disruption, regulatory shifts, and rising stakeholder expectations. And yet, many still operate with outdated assumptions.

This is not just about sustainability. It is about future-proofing business models and maintaining a company’s license to operate. That was long term vision as common thread in the Nordics Business (Strand, 2024)¹. Even companies with strong values and global admiration often cling tightly to legacy products and processes, struggling to adapt to the expectations of tomorrow’s world.

True leadership means moving beyond calculated messaging. It means acknowledging trade-offs, engaging with hard-to-reach stakeholders, and acting even when the roadmap is not fully drawn. My Nordic experience reminded me that good intentions are not enough. We need courage and conviction to push forward.

The Cost of Not Letting Go

LEGO has made strong strides on future proofing their business, from shifting to bio-based polyethylene, wastewater management in Mexico and China, and renewable energy expansion across facilities (LEGO Group, 2025)² (LEGO Group, 2023)³. But the iconic plastic brick? Still the same. That is where I found the tension.

As a private company with deep resources (LEGO Group, 2025)⁴, LEGO has the ability to lead boldly. However, I sensed hesitation from our interactions with LEGO Group leadership. The brick, as iconic as it is, remains a sustainability liability. To truly lead, LEGO must challenge the very core of its product—and that is no easy feat.

Netflix did it. They pivoted from DVDs to streaming, knowing it would eventually make their original business obsolete. That bold move turned them into a global entertainment leader (CNN Business, 2023)⁵. When you are the world’s largest toy company (Davies, 2025)⁶, you have both the capital and the responsibility to do the same.

Be Like Netflix!

Engage with the Hardest Stakeholders

Ramboll is a Danish consultancy with over 18,000 experts across 35 countries, providing sustainability guidance to clients across industries (Ramboll, 2025)⁷. However, I could not help but notice that much of their engagement steered clear of the most carbon-intensive sectors including Oil and Gas and Defense.

Having worked more than a decade in Environment, Health, and Safety matters in one of the Fortune 10 Oil and Gas Companies, I could not help but ask “why not oil and gas?” These sectors are the ones that desperately need help to future proof their businesses. Unless you’ve worked closely in upstream oil and gas production, you might not realize that carbon capture technology has actually been around for decades (Robertson, 2022)⁸. Well integrity, legacy subsurface ownership and other regulatory factors remained problematic. Companies like Ramboll could be at the forefront of solving those problems.

Too often we gravitate toward the partners already aligned with our vision to change. However real leadership and impact means leaning into the harder conversations: legacy systems, cultural and philosophical resistance, and reputational risk.

“…not because they are easy, but because they are hard!”—John F. Kennedy

“Be the Change!” – Mahatma Gandhi

Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping offers a more encouraging example. While they may still have questions to answer on fossil fuel use, their leadership in collaborating with IMO and MARPOL to push industry-wide regulation is a powerful step (Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping , 2025)⁹. They are not just transforming their operations. They are reshaping the system.

Stop Waiting for Perfect Solutions

Admitting when you do not have all the answers is powerful. Nordic leadership, I observed from my interactions with the former Novo Nordisk CEO Mads Øvlisen, thrives on dialogue, not dominance. This contrasts with many American Corporate cultures that prioritize polished answers over iterative learning.

Waiting until everything is figured out delays impact and avoids the messy but necessary work of transformation. Skandinavisk (Skandinavisk, n.d.)¹⁰, a niche fragrance company, stood out for its humility. Their journey from paraffin wax to Swedish rapeseed oil was not linear. It was built on listening, learning, and adjusting—qualities that larger Corporation would emulate. Too often, businesses get stuck waiting for the perfect strategy. But in a rapidly shifting world, waiting is the risk. Moving forward, even imperfectly, is where progress lives.

A Policy Commitment: Champion Scope 3 Disclosure

One concrete step I believe we must push for is mandatory detailed Scope 3 emissions disclosure for the whole value chain for large companies, including private firms. My analysis of LEGO’s sustainability report revealed strong intentions, but leaves Scope 3 data vague (LEGO Group, 2025)¹¹. This is not just a reporting gap. It is a leadership gap. Scope 3 often is most of a Corporations GHG emissions. Without this data, we cannot assess the true climate impact of most businesses. Shareholder pressure on ExxonMobil in recent years for similar reasons shows this is no longer a fringe issue (The Straits Times, 2024)¹².

Mandating disclosure will create a baseline for accountability and improvement, and it directly supports Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. For any firm serious about climate leadership, Scope 3 is not optional, it is essential.

Conclusion

The Nordic experience reinforced that futureproofing is not about glossy reports or safe commitments. It is about embracing discomfort, having the courage to engage in difficult industries and sectors, experimenting with viable solutions, and redirecting when needed. Companies like LEGO, Ramboll, and Mærsk show what’s possible but also what work remains.

What are we still avoiding? What are we waiting for?

True leadership in sustainable capitalism means building not just better products, but braver organizations. The future is not waiting…and leadership means showing up.

References

1. Robert Strand, “Global Sustainability Frontrunners: Lessons from the Nordics.” California Management Review, 66/3 (2024): 5–26.
2. LEGO Group. “LEGO Group Sustainability Statement 2024.” (2025)
3. LEGO Group. “The LEGO Group Breaks Ground on Carbon-neutral Run Factory in Virginia, USA.” (2023, April 13).
4. LEGO Group. “LEGO Group Annual report 2024.” (2025, March 10).
5. CNN Business. “Netflix shutters its DVD rental business, marking the end of the red envelope era.” (2023, September 29).
6. Kasia Davies, “Worldwide Revenue of Major Toy Companies in 2023.” (2025, January 14).
7. Ramboll. “Who we are.” (2025).
8. Bruce Robertson, “Carbon capture has a long history of failure.” (2022, September 1).
9. Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. “Guide to the IMO Mid-Term Measures.” (2025).
10. Skandinavisk. “Sustainability.” (n.d).
11. LEGO Group. “LEGO Group Sustainability Statement 2024.” (2025).
12. The Straits Times. “Exxon sues ESG investors to stop climate proposals on ballot.” (2024, November 8).
13. Strand, R. (2024). Global Sustainability Frontrunners: Lessons from the Nordics. California Management Review, 66(3), 5-26
14. LEGO Group. “LEGO Group Sustainability Statement 2024.” (2025).
15. LEGO Group. “The LEGO Group Breaks Ground on Carbon-neutral Run Factory in Virginia, USA.” 2023, April 13).
16. LEGO Group. “LEGO Group Annual report 2024.” (2025, March 10).
17. CNN Business. (2023, September 29). Netflix shutters its DVD rental business, marking the end of the red envelope era
18. Kasia Davies, “Worldwide Revenue of Major Toy Companies in 2023.” (2025, January 14).
19. Ramboll. “Who we are.” (2025).
20. Bruce Robertson, “Carbon capture has a long history of failure.” (2022, September 1).
21. Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. “Guide to the IMO Mid-Term Measures.” (2025).
22. Skandinavisk. “Sustainability.” (n.d).
23. LEGO Group. “LEGO Group Sustainability Statement 2024.” (2025).
24. The Straits Times. “Exxon sues ESG investors to stop climate proposals on ballot.” (2024, November 8).