"Business cannot succeed in societies that fail."

Who said it? "Business cannot succeed in societies that fail."

This wonderful quote comes from Paul Polman, co-author of Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take. Paul is the former Unilever CEO who helped redefine what it means to lead with both purpose and performance. Under his leadership, Unilever committed to decoupling growth from environmental impact and improving social outcomes, proving that sustainability isn’t a side initiative, it’s a business imperative.

Polman’s words land heavily in today’s context. When social systems falter, whether through widening inequality, deteriorating public services, or environmental degradation, no business remains untouched.

Rising costs, talent shortages, consumer distrust, and fragile supply chains are not externalities, they are symptoms of systemic failure. And those failures don’t stop at the factory gates or the boardroom door.

As leaders, we can no longer treat social and environmental wellbeing as separate from our commercial goals. The businesses that thrive in the future will be those that actively invest in the health of the systems around them.

What are you doing to ensure the society your business depends on does not fail?