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The Big Pivot: Radically Practical Strategies for a Hotter, Scarcer, and More Open World
We live in a fundamentally changed world. It’s time for your approach to strategy to change, too.The evidence is all around us. Extreme weather, driven by climate change, is shattering records all over the planet. Our natural resources are in greater demand than ever before as a billion more people enter the global middle class, wanting more of everything. Radical transparency is opening up company operations and supply chains to public scrutiny.This is not some futuristic scenario or model to debate, but today’s reality. We've passed an economic tipping point. A weakening of the foundations of our planetary infrastructure is costing businesses dearly and putting our society at risk. The mega challenges of climate change, scarcity, and radical transparency threaten our ability to run an expanding global economy and are profoundly changing “business as usual.” But they also offer unprecedented multi-trillion-dollar markets are in play, and the winners of this new game will profit mightily.According to Andrew Winston, bestselling author (Green to Gold) and globally recognized business strategist, the way companies currently operate will not allow them to keep up with the current—and future—rate of change. They need to make the Big Pivot.In this indispensable new book, Winston provides ten crucial strategies for leaders and companies ready to move boldly forward and win in this new reality. With concrete advice and tactics, and new stories from companies like British Telecom, Diageo, Dow, Ford, Nike, Unilever, Walmart, and many others, The Big Pivot will help you, and all of us, create more resilient businesses and a more prosperous world. This book is the blueprint to get you started.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2014
56 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 22, 2015
Great book about the changes that need to and are taking place in business to create a more sustainable economy. The book is structured around the Big Pivot strategies:
The Vision Pivot which includes: fight shorttermism, set sciencebased goals, Pursue heretical innovation.
The Partner Pivot which includes: inspire customers to use less, collablorate radically, become a lobbyist.
Validation Pivot which includes: value natural capital, redefine ROI, change incentives and engage.
The deeper that you can accomplish the three three pivots the more you build a resilient company and a resilient culture.
If we are to have a chance as a species it will only be by using the labor of all of humanity. The only way we have to do in any coherent fashion is to do it through the corporations and business that manage this labor. Of course we must also get the government on board, but the way to do this is also through our corporations and businesses.
I recommend that everyone read this book. The writers style is engaging and easily comprehensible.
From Harvard Business Review:
We live in a fundamentally changed world. It's time for your approach to strategy to change, too. The evidence is all around us. Extreme weather, driven by climate change, is shattering records all over the planet. Our natural resources are in greater demand than ever before as a billion more people enter the global middle class, wanting more of everything. Radical transparency is opening up company operations and supply chains to public scrutiny. This is not some futuristic scenario or model to debate, but today's reality. We've passed an economic tipping point. A weakening of the foundations of our planetary infrastructure is costing businesses dearly and putting our society at risk. The mega challenges of climate change, scarcity, and radical transparency threaten our ability to run an expanding global economy and are profoundly changing "business as usual." But they also offer unprecedented opportunities: multi-trillion-dollar markets are in play, and the winners of this new game will profit mightily. According to Andrew Winston, bestselling author ("Green to Gold") and globally recognized business strategist, the way companies currently operate will not allow them to keep up with the current--and future--rate of change. They need to make the "Big Pivot." In this indispensable new book, Winston provides ten crucial strategies for leaders and companies ready to move boldly forward and win in this new reality. With concrete advice and tactics, and new stories from companies like British Telecom, Diageo, Dow, Ford, Nike, Unilever, Walmart, and many others, "The Big Pivot" will help you, and all of us, create more resilient businesses and a more prosperous world. This book is the blueprint to get you started.
The Vision Pivot which includes: fight shorttermism, set sciencebased goals, Pursue heretical innovation.
The Partner Pivot which includes: inspire customers to use less, collablorate radically, become a lobbyist.
Validation Pivot which includes: value natural capital, redefine ROI, change incentives and engage.
The deeper that you can accomplish the three three pivots the more you build a resilient company and a resilient culture.
If we are to have a chance as a species it will only be by using the labor of all of humanity. The only way we have to do in any coherent fashion is to do it through the corporations and business that manage this labor. Of course we must also get the government on board, but the way to do this is also through our corporations and businesses.
I recommend that everyone read this book. The writers style is engaging and easily comprehensible.
From Harvard Business Review:
We live in a fundamentally changed world. It's time for your approach to strategy to change, too. The evidence is all around us. Extreme weather, driven by climate change, is shattering records all over the planet. Our natural resources are in greater demand than ever before as a billion more people enter the global middle class, wanting more of everything. Radical transparency is opening up company operations and supply chains to public scrutiny. This is not some futuristic scenario or model to debate, but today's reality. We've passed an economic tipping point. A weakening of the foundations of our planetary infrastructure is costing businesses dearly and putting our society at risk. The mega challenges of climate change, scarcity, and radical transparency threaten our ability to run an expanding global economy and are profoundly changing "business as usual." But they also offer unprecedented opportunities: multi-trillion-dollar markets are in play, and the winners of this new game will profit mightily. According to Andrew Winston, bestselling author ("Green to Gold") and globally recognized business strategist, the way companies currently operate will not allow them to keep up with the current--and future--rate of change. They need to make the "Big Pivot." In this indispensable new book, Winston provides ten crucial strategies for leaders and companies ready to move boldly forward and win in this new reality. With concrete advice and tactics, and new stories from companies like British Telecom, Diageo, Dow, Ford, Nike, Unilever, Walmart, and many others, "The Big Pivot" will help you, and all of us, create more resilient businesses and a more prosperous world. This book is the blueprint to get you started.
November 20, 2015
This is one of those books I wish I could have written 10 years from now. I would put this book at the top of any sustainable business reading list. Honestly you could read this and stop there. It is comprehensive, radically practical, impressively reasoned, and synthesizes all of the best reasons I've encountered for companies to incorporate environmental issues into their strategies. I could honestly go on about this book for hours, and took about 10 pages of notes, so if you have even the slightest interest in the role that business can play in avoiding the worst effects of climate change and preparing businesses for the coming changes, this is the book I would recommend without hesitation.
"Asking whether it makes business sense to tackle the mega challenges is no longer the relevant question. The hotter, scarcer, more open world is the new normal.
We need to stop asking the increasingly surreal question "what's the business case?" The word sustainability means, by definition, the ability to keep doing what you're doing. So why must we justify investing in initiatives that allow us to keep operating?
It's vital that we dispel one damaging and related notion - that green business is not about business at all but about "saving the planet", as if that were some separate entity from us."
"Asking whether it makes business sense to tackle the mega challenges is no longer the relevant question. The hotter, scarcer, more open world is the new normal.
We need to stop asking the increasingly surreal question "what's the business case?" The word sustainability means, by definition, the ability to keep doing what you're doing. So why must we justify investing in initiatives that allow us to keep operating?
It's vital that we dispel one damaging and related notion - that green business is not about business at all but about "saving the planet", as if that were some separate entity from us."
June 4, 2021
This is such a great business book. This is really a must-read for anyone interested in the future of business and our world. I had an interesting conversation with Andrew on my podcast Inside Ideas, where we discussed this and the upcoming book that he writes together with Paul Polman.
You can listen to the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQeC1...
Or check out the link below:
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/profit-...
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/inside-...
https://medium.com/inside-ideas/andre...
You can listen to the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQeC1...
Or check out the link below:
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/profit-...
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/inside-...
https://medium.com/inside-ideas/andre...
August 10, 2016
Read this book as a supplement to the work I'm doing at my internship and I was thoroughly impressed with Winston's ability to engage me as an audience and address major challenges to sustainability facing the world today. He integrated knowledge from a variety of sources and presented it effectively.
November 9, 2015
The book offers a clear analysis of the long-term challenges affecting businesses and the world at large. It also offers strategies and inspirations for doing business differently in a world that needs to pivot. A good read.
January 24, 2015
Very easy read, well-researched and inspiring. Probably the best feature of the book is the applicability tips 'How to execute'. It makes tackling scarcity/openness/climate issues look like something natural and trendy, without making the reader feel brainwashed.
December 6, 2023
In summary, "The Big Pivot" by Andrew Winston explores the urgent need for individuals and businesses to adapt to a changing world marked by environmental challenges, resource scarcity, and increased global connectivity. The book emphasizes that the planet’s traditional ways of life are becoming unsustainable and need a fundamental shift. Winston argues that embracing sustainable practices is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity for long-term success. Through real-world examples and practical insights, “The Big Pivot” encourages readers to pivot towards more environmentally responsible and socially conscious approaches in order to thrive in a rapidly evolving and interconnected world.
Overall, I would give Andrew Winston’s book “The Big Pivot” a four-star rating, because I had a very mixed experience when reading it. On the positive side, I was able to appreciate Winston’s insights into the urgent need for businesses to adapt to environmental challenges posed, and his emphasis on sustainable practices. Having written my past two essays on issues similar to these topics, I deeply related to the main argument of this book. “The Big Pivot” also effectively highlighted the importance of making significant changes in the way we approach business to address certain environmental issues. One thing that I especially liked about Winston’s book was his passion for the subject, and how clearly it was reflected in his writing. This made it all the more inspiring and impactful to me. All in all, “The Big Pivot” offers many valuable insights, and serves as a motivating resource for businesses and individuals seeking to learn more about environmental responsibility and economic growth.
However, I gave this book only three stars for a reason. This is because, on the other hand, I found the writing style and organization of the book not very engaging, for it was hard to follow at times. While the overall message was clear to me, Winston’s writing lacked a certain flow and made it hard for me to get through at times. The level of detail included in certain sections was a little overwhelming to me, especially as a reader who is not overly educated on the book’s topic. Despite these drawbacks, “The Big Pivot” by Andrew Winston still serves as a valuable source of information for environmentally sustainable business practices, but anyone interested in reading should approach this book with a critical mindset and a plethora of background knowledge.
“Change is coming, whether we like it or not. No company - and no person - will
avoid the effects of a hotter, scarcer, more open world.”
This quote from page 261 of “The Big Pivot” is my favorite because it briefly captures the inevitability of change in the face of global challenges described in the book. Winston suggests that the impacts of a warming planet and less resources are not avoidable for either companies or individuals. This resonates with me because I recognize the urgency of addressing these environmental and social issues, and this quote further emphasizes the fact that adaptation and proactive measures are essential. My previous two essays had a similar topic to this for a reason, because I relate to it and care a lot about the future of our plant. That is why this quote is my favorite from the book, as it serves as a compelling reminder to the reader that embracing change and finding sustainable alternatives are not just choices but necessities in our evolving world.
"The Big Pivot" by Andrew Winston is surrounded by the main theme of embracing change in response to the profound environmental shifts in our world. This book highlights the necessity for both individuals and businesses to pivot towards sustainable practices and strategies. Winston argues that the traditional ways of our planet are no longer possible in the face of rising environmental concerns and resource constraints. The overall theme revolves around the necessity of adopting a proactive and responsible approach to address these challenges. Through his compelling writing filled with real-world examples and actionable insights, Winston inspires a mindset shift, encouraging readers to recognize the urgency of this pivot toward sustainability for long-term success and resilience in an ever-changing world.
Overall, I would give Andrew Winston’s book “The Big Pivot” a four-star rating, because I had a very mixed experience when reading it. On the positive side, I was able to appreciate Winston’s insights into the urgent need for businesses to adapt to environmental challenges posed, and his emphasis on sustainable practices. Having written my past two essays on issues similar to these topics, I deeply related to the main argument of this book. “The Big Pivot” also effectively highlighted the importance of making significant changes in the way we approach business to address certain environmental issues. One thing that I especially liked about Winston’s book was his passion for the subject, and how clearly it was reflected in his writing. This made it all the more inspiring and impactful to me. All in all, “The Big Pivot” offers many valuable insights, and serves as a motivating resource for businesses and individuals seeking to learn more about environmental responsibility and economic growth.
However, I gave this book only three stars for a reason. This is because, on the other hand, I found the writing style and organization of the book not very engaging, for it was hard to follow at times. While the overall message was clear to me, Winston’s writing lacked a certain flow and made it hard for me to get through at times. The level of detail included in certain sections was a little overwhelming to me, especially as a reader who is not overly educated on the book’s topic. Despite these drawbacks, “The Big Pivot” by Andrew Winston still serves as a valuable source of information for environmentally sustainable business practices, but anyone interested in reading should approach this book with a critical mindset and a plethora of background knowledge.
“Change is coming, whether we like it or not. No company - and no person - will
avoid the effects of a hotter, scarcer, more open world.”
This quote from page 261 of “The Big Pivot” is my favorite because it briefly captures the inevitability of change in the face of global challenges described in the book. Winston suggests that the impacts of a warming planet and less resources are not avoidable for either companies or individuals. This resonates with me because I recognize the urgency of addressing these environmental and social issues, and this quote further emphasizes the fact that adaptation and proactive measures are essential. My previous two essays had a similar topic to this for a reason, because I relate to it and care a lot about the future of our plant. That is why this quote is my favorite from the book, as it serves as a compelling reminder to the reader that embracing change and finding sustainable alternatives are not just choices but necessities in our evolving world.
"The Big Pivot" by Andrew Winston is surrounded by the main theme of embracing change in response to the profound environmental shifts in our world. This book highlights the necessity for both individuals and businesses to pivot towards sustainable practices and strategies. Winston argues that the traditional ways of our planet are no longer possible in the face of rising environmental concerns and resource constraints. The overall theme revolves around the necessity of adopting a proactive and responsible approach to address these challenges. Through his compelling writing filled with real-world examples and actionable insights, Winston inspires a mindset shift, encouraging readers to recognize the urgency of this pivot toward sustainability for long-term success and resilience in an ever-changing world.
December 1, 2025
I read The Big Pivot in 2019 for a Sustainable Business course at Fordham University, and it was one of the first books that really opened my eyes to the idea that sustainability is not just an environmental issue, but a core business strategy. Winston lays out this idea that the world is becoming hotter, scarcer, and more transparent, and that companies have to completely rethink the way they operate if they want to survive in the long run.
What I found helpful was how practical the book was. It showed real examples of companies that were already adapting to climate pressures, resource limits, and rising stakeholder expectations. This book came before the current backlash against sustainability and ESG, and before companies began pulling away from the Paris climate commitments, so rereading its themes now feels even more relevant. The risks Winston talked about, like supply chain disruptions, water scarcity, and extreme weather, have only intensified.
Something I appreciated as a student was how clearly the book connected sustainability to innovation. Winston made the case that the companies who take climate and resource challenges seriously will be the ones who stay competitive. Looking at the world now, with global companies struggling to balance costs, climate impacts, and public pressure, a lot of what he wrote feels almost predictive.
The Big Pivot is not a dramatic read, but it is a smart and grounded one. It helped me understand that sustainability is not just a “nice to have,” it is something businesses will eventually be pushed into by reality, whether they want to or not. Reading it in the context of a business class made the whole message feel even more practical.
If you are interested in climate strategy, sustainable business, or understanding why companies need to rethink their long-term planning, this book is definitely worth reading.
What I found helpful was how practical the book was. It showed real examples of companies that were already adapting to climate pressures, resource limits, and rising stakeholder expectations. This book came before the current backlash against sustainability and ESG, and before companies began pulling away from the Paris climate commitments, so rereading its themes now feels even more relevant. The risks Winston talked about, like supply chain disruptions, water scarcity, and extreme weather, have only intensified.
Something I appreciated as a student was how clearly the book connected sustainability to innovation. Winston made the case that the companies who take climate and resource challenges seriously will be the ones who stay competitive. Looking at the world now, with global companies struggling to balance costs, climate impacts, and public pressure, a lot of what he wrote feels almost predictive.
The Big Pivot is not a dramatic read, but it is a smart and grounded one. It helped me understand that sustainability is not just a “nice to have,” it is something businesses will eventually be pushed into by reality, whether they want to or not. Reading it in the context of a business class made the whole message feel even more practical.
If you are interested in climate strategy, sustainable business, or understanding why companies need to rethink their long-term planning, this book is definitely worth reading.
May 2, 2024
Many interesting insights.
May 2, 2025
Read this for sustainable business and really enjoyed it. It gave me hope about the future of our society and made the complex relationship between sustainability and business very digestible.
January 21, 2015
I read "Green To Gold" several years ago and recommended it, so I was glad to see the" Big Pivot" come along. I gave it 4 stars even though I don't believe in "global warming", "climate change" or whatever you want to call it. I am though a disciple of William McDonnagh and "Cradle to Cradle". Does man pollute? Yes, and how do we change that? "The Big Pivot" gives some great answers. Not a fan of his "activism" suggestion, but the book is spot on with targets and examples. For those of us who know that science LIED on "global warming", read this book with a skeptical eye; you might be surprised with the clarity of this book.
September 22, 2014
If you are completely not following issues related to climate change, then this is a good introduction to the issues facing businesses. It's a fairly typical business book, lot's of case studies and high level strategies. If you want depth, this is not the book for you.
January 26, 2015
Great resource and a clear and succinct summary of corporate sustainability progress. Want to read Winston's other books now.
September 6, 2014
Winston provides 10 practical strategies for companies to be more resilient in an increasingly volatile world.
January 5, 2015
Reads like an extended HBR article. The ideas are useful, exciting even, but it felt like Winston stretched what should have been an article into a book.
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May 8, 2015658.4083 W783b 2014
September 11, 2016
Great book ! Soon the review on the blog
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews