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As a former military officer turned sustainability-focused CEO, I often find myself reflecting on the intersection of two worlds that, on the surface, seem unlikely companions. The military and environmental activism may not share much in popular perception, but my time in service fundamentally shaped how I approach mission-driven leadership. It gave me the tools to tackle complex, seemingly insurmountable problems while galvanizing a team toward a higher purpose. If we are to solve the key challenges of our timechallenges as large as protecting our planetleaders will need to adopt three key lessons I learned from the military. Lesson 1: Service before self The militarys core ethos revolves around serving a mission greater than oneself. For me, this meant uprooting my life every 2 years, enduring long deployments where my husband was gone for 320 days of the year, and working on classified missions I could never share. These sacrifices werent about personal glory but about contributing to something bigger: protecting the freedoms and safety of others. This same mindset is essential in mission-driven leadership. Building a values-driven company that prioritizes the health of people and the planet is an inherently uphill battle. But this work isnt about personal comfort or short-term wins. Its about serving a mission that has lasting value for future generations. One of the greatest leadership challenges is finding and motivating others who share this sense of purpose. In the military, what binds individuals togethereven in life-or-death situationsis the shared passion for serving the mission. The same is true for leaders of purpose-driven companies. Surround yourself with people who are deeply committed to the cause. Their shared purpose will provide the resilience and determination needed to face setbacks and keep pushing forward. In the U.S., we tend to prioritize individual success over collective progress. For me, military service was a catalyst for this mindset shift, and it continues to shape how I approach sustainability: as a duty to serve the greater good. Lesson 2: Discipline and making excellence a habit At the United States Air Force Academy, I learned that excellence isnt a singular actits a habit. This lesson was ingrained in me through daily practices like making my bed with hospital corners, ironing uniforms to perfection, and pushing through grueling physical challenges. These seemingly small acts built the discipline to tackle larger, more complex tasks. The ability to consistently show up and meet high standardseven in the face of fatigue, doubt, or hardshipis the secret weapon that has helped me accomplish the greatest challenges in my life, from running a sub-3-hour marathon to leading a purpose-driven company. Shaping businesses that improve our health and planet often feels overwhelming. The statistics alone can make you want to throw up your hands: Humans generates over 400 million tons of plastic waste annually, much of which ends up in landfills or the ocean. So instead, focus on the small things laddering up into larger ones. Consider something as simple as making your bed every day. Its not about the bed itself; its about starting the day with a small win, a signal to yourself that youre committed to doing the work, no matter how small it seems. Discipline drives progress when motivation fadesbecause motivation will fade. For business leaders, building a culture of disciplined habits is critical. Tackling problems at scale requires a disciplined approach and a team thats practiced in the excellence of laddering little disciplines up into larger ones. Are you modeling attention to detail and high standards in your daily work? If not, how can you expect your team to do so when tackling massive societal and environmental challenges? Leadership in the movement for conscious consumer goods and beyond, requires long-term thinking, consistency, and resilienceall of which are forged through disciplined action. Leaders must show up every day, no matter how difficult the path ahead may seem. Lesson 3: Integrity, even when no one is looking In the military, integrity isnt just a buzzwordits a core value. We were trained to do what was right, even when it was inconvenient or when no one was watching. This principle was so critical that a breach of integrity, known as an honor violation, could lead to immediate discharge. A friend of mine once faced 6 months of probation because his homework was too similar to his roommates. In the business world, integrity often feels like a luxury rather than a necessity. Capitalism is not built this waycompanies dont just do the right thing to feel good. If it doesnt drive the top or bottom line, it likely wont make the cut, even when they know their actions are harmful to human health or the environment. However, I believe companies have the potential to be inherently good. Many companies treat sustainability initiatives as a cost center, doing the bare minimum to meet regulatory requirements or appease consumers. But real progress happens when sustainability is integrated into the businesss core objectives, showing measurable returns that drive the companys growth. At my company, Novi, we work to build incentive structures that align sustainability efforts with revenue and cost-saving opportunities, ultimately driving both environmental progress, human health, and business success. For business leaders, integrity means pushing for solutions that dont just check a box but create meaningful, measurable impact. Its about holding yourself and your organization accountable to high standardseven when its inconvenient or costlybecause the stakes for our planet are just as high as they are on the battlefield. Build a new kind of leadership The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. As we face the monumental task of preserving our planet for future generations, leaders across disciplines must embrace a mission-first mindset, build the discipline to tackle daunting problems, and act with integrity, even when its inconvenient. These principles arent just relics of my time in uniform; theyre the guiding forces that help me navigate the complex, high-stakes challenges of mission-driven leadership. The military may have prepared me for battle, but it also prepared me to serve a different kind of mission: protecting the health of people and our planet. And for that, Ill always be grateful. Kimberly Shenk is cofounder and CEO of Novi Connect.
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E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Carter G. Woodson is the reason we celebrate Black history this month, and every February. Not many people know him, but he was a scholar, a journalist, and an activist who decided in the early 1900s to document how formerly enslaved Africans and the broader African diaspora contributed to the prosperity and growth of this country and beyond. At the time, our nations narrative assumed that African Americans had no history or impact on the trajectory of the United States. Despite known and demonstrable evidence to the contrary, even among former enslavers, a national narrative asserting the biological and inherent inferiority of anyone with one drop of Black blood had to assert that Black people lacked any significant history or claim on shared humanity. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal except for Black men and women. This narrative added further justification for the evils of Jim Crow segregation and decades of policy and actual violence to African Americans. Hidden figures Woodson and his colleagues changed all that. Together, they detailed the history of African-descended people in the Americas and beyond. Woodson educated the broader population about the Black contributions to their daily lives. Inventors like Thomas Jennings, the first African American to receive a patent, for a new form of dry cleaning. And, Lewis Howard Latimer, who worked with Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, where he improved the process for making carbon filaments in light bulbs and later invented a precursor to air conditioning. And, Granville T. Woods, who improved the operation of telegraphs. And, Alice H. Parker, who designed the first central heating system powered by natural gas. These hidden figuresand so many morehad been and would have been forgotten by history if not for Woodson and his colleagues. He began publication of the Journal of Negro History, now The Journal of African American History, in 1916, and it has been continuously publishing ever since, documenting the history of African American life and their contributions to society. After founding the Journal, Woodson decided to go further and start Negro History Week in 1926. He timed this for the second week in February, to coincide with the birthdays of both Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this grew into the Black History Month we now recognize every year. Contributions should be honored As we face current attempts at historical erasure, we recall that Woodson and his colleagues did not enjoy broad support. Policy violence and deep rhetorical contempt against Black Americans catalyzed the rise of attacks and intimidation by the KKK and other hate groups. Thus, Woodson strived without the accolades or endorsements from establishment leaders. He and his colleagues, many white, understood that in the shared understanding of all peoples contributions to civilization lay the seeds for a more fully flowering democracy. Woodsons efforts certainly helped to raise the consciousness of Black Americans. It also gave whites the opportunity to cast aside the toxic mythology of white supremacy. Woodson became one of the leaders of the Black intellectual and cultural movements in the 20s and 30s, such as the Harlem Renaissance and the international Black Consciousness Movement led by individuals like Marcus Garvey. His work helped Black people all over the country and throughout the African diaspora recognize our contributions and envision our full potential in a society unfettered by racial hate, segregation, and discrimination. Black History Month rests on a big and bold legacy that Woodson created for us. We now have many different history months that celebrate all aspects of our nations heritage, not just a sanitized version. We have Womens History Month; Jewish American History Month; Hispanic Heritage Month; LGBTQ+ Pride Month; and so much more. Because of the tireless work of Woodson, we can have a full picture of this countrys history. With a better understanding of our past, we can better navigate the future. Build on the legacy As we reflect on all of this work that brought us here, I want to ask: What is the work we are willing to do to build upon this legacy? What can we do to make the most of where we are now, every single day? Woodson was driven not by a desire for accolades or recognition. He wanted his people, and all people, to better connect with a rich history, rather than have that history erased. We are at a similar moment in time in our nations history where we risk losing the truth of how we got close to, and how we might strive to fulfill the promise of a more perfect union. How can we follow Woodsons lead and do the work necessary to remember our past, and create a better future where all can thrive? Joe Scantlebury, JD, is CEO of Living Cities.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. From a young age, feedback from authority figures shape our self-perception. Unfortunately, too many young people internalize the message that they should only pursue what comes easily to them. I know this firsthand. As a student, I was interested in STEM but found it challenging. After an educator told me to focus on what I was good at, I believed I could never succeed in science or technologyand I gave up. What happened to me isnt unique. Too often, young people arent given the opportunity to fail safely, leading them to impose limits on their own potential. The consequences extend beyond the individualindustries suffer, too. Research shows that professionals with high confidence earn $8,000 more each year than their less self-confident peers, and 93% cite confidence as key to career success. Without a cultural shift that embraces safe failurethe opportunity to fail, learn, and try againinnovation will stagnate, and talent pipelines will weaken. As the leader of FIRST, a global robotics community dedicated to igniting young peoples passion for STEM, Ive seen firsthand the impact that building confidence in kids as young as preschool age can have on students educational affinity and interpersonal skill development. The same principles we apply to students ages 4-18 are relevant for young adults entering the workforce. A thriving business environment depends on uplifting young talent and empowering them to navigate challenges. Celebrate failure, dont fear it FIRST founder and prolific inventor Dean Kamen, who holds more than 1,000 patents, believes that yesa project may failbut never a person. He says, A step backward is a failure, but what if, for every step backward, you take two steps ahead? Learning from failure is a critical step in progresssomething over 3.2 million FIRST participants and alumni understand well. Business leaders must foster environments where failure is not only accepted, but expected. Controlled, low-risk failures offer young workers invaluable learning experiences that allow them to iterate and improve. Teams should see failure not as a sign of incapability but as a tool for growth. If we expect young professionals to push through challenges, we must provide them with the safety net to do so. Use mentorship to model resiliency and offer guidance Mentorship is a powerful way to help young professionals build resilience. Whether they are learning a new skill or questioning whether they have what it takes to go pro in STEM, it is not at all uncommon at FIRST to see young people stepping outside of their comfort zones, seeking guidance, and needing reassurance. Our role as leaders is not just to teach but to help young people find their places of belonging, and mentorship is a key piece of that puzzle. Strong mentorswho have faced setbacks and perseveredoffer support, model confidence, and help young people navigate obstacles. Mentorship doesnt just benefit mentees; it strengthens the mentors leadership skills. Corporate leaders Ive spoken with who invest in mentorship often report improved communication, problem-solving, and long-term employee commitment. Business leaders should consider structured mentorship programs, to cultivate a culture of support and professional development for their employees. Focus on flexibility and growth mindsets Career paths are rarely linear. Many young professionals pivot as they discover their passions and adapt to changing industries. Organizations that encourage continuous learning and skill developmentnot just technical expertise but also communication, teamwork, and adaptabilitywill retain talent and drive innovation. Looking back on my past experiences, I wish I had understood that I had a choice: I could either accept my teachers discouragement or cast her words aside and believe in my limitless potential. As business leaders, we must create spaces where young professionals are empowered to take risks, learn, and grow. Innovation requires risk taking and trial and error. And for innovation to flourish, we must give young professionals permission to jump, with the knowledge that they have a safety net beneath them. If we reframe failure as an opportunity, provide mentorship, and encourage resilience, we can ensure young professionalsand the businesses they powerreach their full potential. Chris Moore is CEO of FIRST.
Category:
E-Commerce
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