Not all birds stay in the same place their entire life, and neither do businesses. As they evolve from humble beginnings to expanding into new markets, launching new products, and growing their teams, they must adapt to survive.

No company wants to find itself in decline, so just as birds migrate to sustain their species, businesses must embrace sustainable transformation to build long-term resilience. Sustainable change isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s a continuous iterative journey that must be embedded into operations, strategy, and culture, not a quick fix.

In this article, we’ll explore what businesses can learn from bird migration when navigating sustainable transformation.

Five lessons on strategy from nature

Some migrations are short, while others span thousands of miles, with birds following different routes and adapting to challenges along the way. Similarly, businesses must navigate their sustainability journeys, choosing strategies that align with their industry, resources, and long-term goals.

🏔️ Following landmarks (Structured, risk-averse strategy)

Birds use obvious physical landmarks like mountains, rivers and coastlines to guide them, just as a business might adopt, Science Based Targets initiative targets, BSI ISO environmental accreditations and isla’s Progression Pathway to give them a clear step-by-step framework to follow. This structured approach helps them to benchmark progress within widely recognised criteria.

🎯 Taking the direct route (Being bold, high-risk strategies)

Some species choose to fly directly across oceans or deserts, taking risks to reach their destination quicker. I wish there was a shortcut for businesses’ sustainability transformation but the reality is far more complex. However, those businesses that do set ambitious targets are often the ones more willing to experiment, fail fast, and adopt innovation quicker. Let’s call these the “Silicon Valley” in sustainability terms, the thought leaders that offer valuable lessons for those starting to navigate a similar business change process.

🌦️ Adapting routes to conditions (Adjusting strategy to external factors)

Other birds choose to return a different way, adjusting for weather and food sources. For example, birds use tailwinds to conserve energy. A business that adapts its sustainability strategies to external factors like regulations, technology, and market shifts can gain a competitive edge and unlock new growth opportunities. Take companies like isla member, who launched their own event sustainability consultancy, from now, to meet the growing demand for sustainability expertise from their clients, demonstrating agility in an evolving industry landscape.

🤝 Converging at key junctions (Collaborating for systemic change)

Migration routes often meet at narrow sea crossings where birds instinctively gather together. Collectively they can share navigation, have better protection from predators, and benefit from energy efficiency when flying in formation. These natural meeting points create strength in numbers, helping species survive and complete their journey.

This is why collaboration is key to sustainability, it really does take a village! Businesses must mobilise their entire workforce towards achieving their goals every department and individual has a part to play. On a greater scale, uniting businesses through industry alliances and partnerships can contribute to systemic change when an industry is rooted in shared goals to achieve lasting improvement.

🛤️ Gradual progress with stopovers (phased implementation and milestones)

There are crucial staging sites along the journey, where sometimes thousands or even millions of birds flock together to rest and refuel as part of their long journey. Similarly, businesses are unlikely to achieve all their sustainability objectives at once. Sustainability strategies should be broken down into manageable phases with clear milestones to assess progress regularly. Implementing an iterative approach by conducting regular audits and reflections at the end of each phase will help track achievements, address gaps, and maintain momentum toward sustainability goals.

Final thoughts…

An understanding of the natural world, and what’s in it as a source of not only great curiosity but great fulfilment.” – David Attenborough

Birds may know their final destination but how they get there isn’t “hard-wired” into them as some may think. Some parts seem to be learned from older birds or through experience. Whilst half of the world’s largest companies have committed to achieving net zero in the future, there isn’t a “direct route”. Sustainable transformation is a change management process that requires continuous adaptation, learning, and course correction. Every business, regardless of its starting point, is navigating its evolving route.

So, if you’re feeling uncertain about your sustainability strategy, take inspiration from nature. Even the longest journeys are made step by step, or in this case, wing by wing. The Arctic Tern embarks on a staggering 55,923-mile (90,000 km) migration from the Arctic to Antarctica and back every year. It’s a feat of endurance, adaptation, and persistence just like the sustainability journey businesses must undertake.

This article was originally posted as a LinkedIn article by Ellie Ashton-Melia.