A few years ago, as a new CEO at IKEA, I attended my first Climate Week in New York. While sharing a sandwich on a bench in Central Park, my team and I scribbled down five principles on a paper napkin to guide us on our business and sustainability journey. They have proven more valid with every passing year.

• Lead with actions: words matter, but only actions move things.
• Focus on impact: inspiration is not enough if we miss the root causes.
• Move with speed: this crisis will not pause for the next generation to inherit. It is ours to resolve.
• Work together across industries, borders, and with policy makers to make it happen.
• Tell the story to inspire, bring hope, and muster courage.

These five principles did not just guide IKEA. They became the foundation of how I think of leadership more broadly. Since 2021, I have served as Chair of The B Team, inspired by the principles of urgency, honesty and collective action.

Let me fast forward seven years to the last Climate Week NYC. In spite of the world's divisions, I left truly inspired by both the commitment and the progress. The UN Global Compact, the world's largest sustainability movement with over 23,000 global corporate members, released a report highlighting revolutionary levels of commitment; 97% of all CEOs are committed to sustainability development. And 88% believe the business case is better now than five years ago.

It is often claimed that business is moving too slowly. In truth, we started late, but the speed of change is inspiring. The World Economic Forum CEO Climate Alliance brings together leaders of big companies that act based on an ethical, reputational, and economic conviction. If this Alliance were a country, it would be the second biggest in the world when considering the carbon footprint, end to end. The Alliance recently reported a collective 20% increase in revenue while reducing absolute carbon by 12%. That is progress!

During my eight years as CEO, we navigated disruption, pandemic, wars, economic challenges with hyperinflation, slowdown and geopolitical turmoil. At the same time, we took the company to a new avenue of growth and profitability through transformations in digital, omni-channel, and sustainability. We brought IKEA to more places. We innovated new ways of meeting people in city centers. We built a digital and physical experience that raised customer satisfaction to new levels. And we integrated sustainability through our entire value chain with benefits for people, planet, and company. Since the Paris Agreement, IKEA reported +24% in revenue while reducing carbon across all scopes by 30.1% and counting, and is well on the way to halving carbon by 2030.

At the heart of this journey sits a simple insight: it is not only possible to serve humankind through business, but it is indeed good business to be a good business. This conviction is shared among the leaders of The B Team.

It is time for new leadership!

I believe we find ourselves in the most important decade in the history of humankind. We have left one world order, and the new one is not yet established. Times like these are always filled with opportunity and chaos. The digital and sustainable revolution will in parallel, define the success of tomorrow's business models and offer new avenues for growth.

It's not easy to lead change in today's uncertainty. The fear of failure can sometimes be paralyzing. But history has taught us that it is better to be on the bumpy train ride than to be left at the station. The future belongs to people, companies, organizations, and societies who lead to serve humanity. Who build smart business models that benefit from modern technology and manage the planet's limited resources in an economic way. Who limit dependencies and rely on renewables for energy and mobility. And who benefit from treating people, partners, and planet with a long-term vision and respect.

The B Team exists to accelerate this leadership, bringing together leaders committed to taking action, holding each other to higher standards, and creating results together.

In this next chapter, both personally and professionally, I will support companies and organizations that are eager to make the journey. I believe it is in our hands to make things better, together, and create the future we want to see for our children and ourselves.

I believe optimism is a choice. And I am optimistic about our future.

Jesper is the Chair of The B Team and a Senior Advisor to the IKEA Foundation. Previously, he served as CEO of Ingka Group I IKEA. Jesper is also Chair of The Earthshot Prize, Vice-chair of the UN Global Compact Board and is a Distinguished Fellow with the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate. Learn more about Jesper.

"The Catalyst" is The B Team’s monthly newsletter which showcases ways in which leaders are advocating a better way of doing business. Subscribe to receive updates.