A recent article by McKinsey entitled, Our future lives and livelihoods: Sustainable and inclusive and growing demonstrates a forward-looking view of how to relate to complex economic, social, and environmental dynamics for greater wellbeing. Identifying the positive and negative flows around three pillars of economic growth, sustainability, and equity, the authors rally around the “yes, and” logic needed for interrelated objectives across these systems.

Although reflecting a systems view, the authors stop short of a holistic view of systemic change, most often seen in the regenerative movement mainstream, but rather express a view of greater systemic interaction and complexity mostly in line with the concepts of sustainable development. Thus they describe sustainability as a function of the full use of natural resources, rather than the objective of flourishing ecosystems; or as inclusion as an aspect of economic opportunity rather than one of broader social / economic equity.

Nonetheless, the article demonstrates the growing trend in mainstream sources to look toward systemic dynamics and solutions.