The Breakthrough Challenge

The world's most forward-looking CEOs recognize the realchallenge facing business today: a fundamental shift in the natureof commerce. While sustainability programs, government action, andnonprofits are all parts of the solution, CEOs and other leadersmust focus on social, environmental, and economic benefit--notonly because it will make the world a better place, but because itwill ensure lasting profitability and success in the businessclimate of tomorrow. The Breakthrough Challenge is both an inspiringcall-to-action and a guide for this transformation, based on thework of The B Team, a major initiative uniting leaders insustainability. As a founding advisor and member of The B Team,John Elkington and Jochen Zeitz map out an agenda for change. Themost important goal for businesses must be redefining the bottomline to account for true long-term costs throughout the supplychain. To achieve this, leaders must rethink everything: whatcounts on balance sheets, how to incentivize performance, who doeswhat in the C-suite, and even what inspires us. The BreakthroughChallenge draws on over 100 exclusive interviews to show thisshift in action, sharing the pioneering work of leaders such asPaul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Arianna Huffington, founder and CEOof The Huffington Post; Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman ofthe Nestlé Group; and Linda Fisher, pioneering ChiefSustainability Officer at DuPont, among many others. Change-as-usual strategies are not enough to move business frombreakdowns to breakthroughs. The Breakthrough Challengeshows leaders how to achieve a true transformation and refocus thedefinition of profitability on the lasting wellbeing of people andplanet--for the lasting success of their business.