"I really think we live in a world where we need to remain optimistic and hopeful about the future, but also bring a sense of urgency and impatience to what we're trying to drive."
That's what Ezgi Barcenas told Linda Lacina. Ezgi Barcenas is the Chief Sustainability Officer of Anheuser-Busch InBev
Linda asked, "Given all the changes that are happening, what should leaders be prioritizing?"
Ezgi Barcenas: "Impatient optimism. I really think we live in a world where we need to remain optimistic and hopeful about the future, but also bring a sense of urgency and impatience to what we're trying to drive. So, it's a balance between that impatience and the optimism that we're bringing.
"Another piece I want to highlight is the double vision, right? I think leaders around the world, as we're looking to tackle challenges that are much greater than ourselves, our families, societies and stakeholders or companies, I think what we really need to see is having that belief system that a better future or better world is possible and not only seeing the world clearly as it is today with its realities but also imagining what the future could look like and really try to close that gap and play a role in getting there."
Linda Lacina: In your own work, how have you shown or deployed impatient optimism?
Ezgi Barcenas: I think this is incredibly important for internal engagement and collaboration across what I call 'team of teams' across so many different functions within a business. But also externally, really again, articulating that authentic reason why we're pursuing, you know, purposeful innovation, why we're looking at collaboration around the world to tackle some of these challenges.