“How are we going to pay for this?”

In that question lies the conundrum faced by the growing ranks of corporate leaders who recognize that business must, at the very least, stop contributing to the most urgent problems facing humanity and ought to, at best, help solve them. In mission statements and strategic plans, many companies are making commitments to improving sustainability and reducing inequity — but when it comes to meeting those goals, they are tripped up by the financial implications.

In reality, we have no shortage of ideas on how to provide greater and more equitable access to goods and services, use them conscientiously and more effectively, and leave the least amount of waste behind. But we are frequently held back in implementing those ideas because of the presumption that any sustainability initiative invariably leads to higher costs, higher taxes, higher fiscal deficits, and, ultimately, higher prices. “How are we going to pay for this?” becomes a killer question seemingly designed to stifle progress.

Overlooked in the debate, however, is one factor that unnecessarily limits the scope that leaders in all spheres — whether business, politics, or nonprofit — need to implement solutions that can scale to meaningful impact.