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The past century has witnessed unprecedented economic growth and human prosperity. At the same time, most mindful people today recognize that the world faces many serious challenges. Among the most pressing are increasing population growth and the effect that this has on the planet when combined with the forces of the consumer society.

The world around us is comprised of systems – organizational systems, business systems, political systems, family systems, inter-personal systems, biological systems, economic systems – and thus the list continues. It has been said that systems thinking is one of the key management competences of the 21st century. As our work becomes ever more tightly interwoven globally and as the pace of change continues to increase, we will all need to become increasingly “system-wise.”

After over 40 years of experience with environmental issues and regulations, it is probably safe to say that most firms do at least an acceptable job of compliance with the letter of the law. Some few are leaders that go beyond that required by law, but by and large the majority are content to play a reactive role. There are many explanations for why firms take this stance in the face of the most important challenge confronting the world today.