Large corporations are sleep-walking towards disaster — will 2021 be the year in which they wake up?

There is a mythic quality to what is happening in the world today. We are players in an epic fairy tale that will be told and re-told in awe-filled tones in centuries to come. Human society faces existential threats. A global pandemic sweeps through society, and economic turmoil is coming, while looming on the horizon are the twin sisters of climate change and ecosystem collapse. Yet political leaders waste time bickering amongst themselves and society fragments. Who will save us from ourselves?

In our great myths there are often ambiguous characters who have an important role in the unfolding of the story. Seeming villains can turn out to be saviours. Bystanders may decide to get involved, changing the course of the tale. In the Wizard of Oz it is the mysterious Wizard who in the end helps Dorothy find her way home. In Star Wars, Darth Vader at the last moment rejects the dark side and saves his son. The Ents in the Lord of the Rings were reluctant to get involved in battle but, once roused, played a key role in the defeat of Saruman.

In our current human story businesses, and particularly large corporations, are playing this sort of ambiguous role. No one can doubt their ability to make positive change in the world. They have helped shape our modern world, achieving miracles in engineering, medicine, distribution, communications and other fields. What’s lacking is the will.