Sustainability Over Speed: Why the Will to Sustain Outweighs the Will to Win.

In today’s hyper-accelerated world, it’s tempting to prioritize speed, execution, and short-term wins. But as we’ve seen time and again—whether in business, startups, politics, or public policy—flashy execution without sustainability leads to fast extinction.

The truth is:

The will to win is not the same as the will to sustain.
And in the long run, it’s those who prioritize sustainability that outlive, outlast, and out-impact.

1. Why Sustainability Must Come First

Execution alone is no longer enough. A global CEO survey revealed that 45% of corporate leaders believe their companies won’t be viable in the next decade if they don’t evolve with sustainability in mind (PwC, 2024). The most commonly cited threats include climate-related risks, regulatory pressure, and digital disruption.

Sustainability isn’t just about ethics anymore—it’s now the foundation of business survival.

2. Businesses That Prioritize Sustainability Thrive Economically

Let’s look at the evidence:

• According to McKinsey & Company, companies that integrate sustainability into their core strategy enjoy up to 21% higher profitability than competitors (McKinsey, 2023).
• ESG-leading firms have been shown to have a 10% lower cost of capital and 20% lower stock volatility, making them more financially resilient (MSCI, 2023).
• A Deloitte study found that 73% of employees at purpose-driven organizations are more engaged, compared to only 23% in firms without a clear mission (Deloitte, 2020).
• Organizations with resilient, sustainable supply chains experienced 30% fewer disruptions during COVID-19 and recovered more quickly (Harvard Business Review, 2020).

Clearly, sustainability is no longer a “nice-to-have”—it’s a performance multiplier.

3. Nations: Sustainable Investment Builds Long-Term Growth

At the national level, sustainability is no less critical:

• India is positioning itself as the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, fueled by investments in renewable energy, sustainable cities, and tech-driven inclusive growth (The Economic Times, 2024).
• Rwanda’s Vision 2020 plan, which emphasized good governance, environmental protection, and tech innovation, helped make it one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies (World Bank, 2021).
• A climate investment roadmap by the OECD estimates that global GDP could rise by 2.5% by 2050, with sustainable infrastructure unlocking economic gains and lifting over 175 million people out of poverty (OECD, 2023).

Sustainable development isn’t just morally right—it’s economically smart.

4. Entrepreneurs: Build to Last, Not Just to Launch

Many entrepreneurs fall into the “launch trap”—chasing hype and ignoring fundamentals. But without a sustainability plan, startups collapse quickly.

• A CB Insights report shows that 38% of startups fail due to cash flow problems, most of which stem from unsustainable business models (CB Insights, 2023).
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that only 25% of businesses survive beyond 15 years (U.S. BLS, 2023).
• A University of Bologna study found that green-focused startups were more than twice as likely to survive long-term as conventional ones (Serio et al., 2020).

The difference? Sustainable startups are built for resilience, not just rapid scale.

5. Economic Reality: What Lasts Is What’s Sustainable

Let’s break it down across the spectrum:

For example, Republic Services, one of the U.S.’s largest waste and recycling firms, has shown stable financial growth over a decade through its focus on sustainable operations. It’s consistently outperformed peers and demonstrated how “boring” sectors can quietly build enduring wealth (Republic Services, 2024).

Final Thought: Sustainability Is the New Success Metric

It’s easy to win once.
It’s hard to stay winning.

Before you launch a business, scale a project, or push a policy—ask yourself:

✅ Can this last 10 years?
✅ Can it evolve and scale without collapsing?
✅ Can it outlive me and still create value?

Because in the end, execution is impressive, but sustainability is irreplaceable.

References

1. PwC. (2024). 27th Annual CEO Survey. Retrieved from: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/c-suite-insights/ceo-survey/ceo-survey-2024.html
2. McKinsey & Company. (2023). The Business Case for ESG. Retrieved from: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights
3. MSCI. (2023). ESG and Climate Trends to Watch. Retrieved from: https://www.msci.com/www/research-paper/esg-and-climate-trends-to/03403835393
4. Deloitte. (2020). Purpose Under Pressure Report. Retrieved from: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/marketing-and-sales-operations/purpose-driven-companies.html
5. Harvard Business Review. (2020). Global Supply Chains in a Post-Pandemic World. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2020/05/global-supply-chains-in-a-post-pandemic-world
6. The Economic Times. (2024). India’s Growth Trajectory. Retrieved from: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/indias-growth-trajectory-2024
7. World Bank. (2021). Rwanda Economic Update. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/rwanda/publication/rwanda-economic-update
8. OECD. (2023). Climate and Economic Resilience. Retrieved from: https://www.oecd.org/environment/
9. CB Insights. (2023). Top Reasons Startups Fail. Retrieved from: https://www.cbinsights.com/research/startup-failure-reasons-top/
10. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Business Employment Dynamics. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/bdm/us_age_naics_00_table7.txt
11. Serio, G., et al. (2020). Green Startups and Long-Term Survival. University of Bologna. Retrieved from: https://amsacta.unibo.it/
12. Republic Services. (2024). Investor Relations. Retrieved from: https://investors.republicservices.com/

✍️ Written by:
Tosin Oguntunde
Thought Leader | Project Manager | Founder, Opportunity Gist