FLIGBY’s New Game Results Assessment: Your Sustainability Scorecard

Success is more than just being ESG compliant

Sustainability is no longer optional—it’s central to competitive advantage, resilience, and relevance. That’s why corporate and academic users are so eager to educate their teams and students on this vital topic. FLIGBY’s Sustainability Assessment provides a practical and impactful approach to developing the essential skills and mindsets necessary for success in today’s world.

To remain competitive in the long run, decision-makers must move beyond treating sustainability as a simple “ESG-compliance checked” exercise.

Today, sustainability is not just about meeting minimum standards set by regulations—it’s about authentically demonstrating your organization’s values and showing absolute alignment with the ever-evolving societal expectations, making you a forward-thinking and adaptive entity.

Embracing true sustainability is not just a shift in perspective, but a strategic move. It’s the accurate measure of an organization’s values, culture, and long-term vision. Those who embrace this shift are better positioned to build trust, inspire loyalty, and stay ahead in a world that increasingly rewards responsibility and transparency.

By developing leaders who understand and embody these principles, organizations not only fulfill their obligations but also gain a lasting competitive advantage, fueling their ambition and motivation.

The Challenges of Developing ESG-Ready Leadership Behaviors

Developing ESG-ready leaders requires overcoming deep-rooted challenges. While many organizations encounter significant obstacles in preparing their leaders to be genuinely “ESG-ready,” These challenges also present opportunities for growth and learning. Here are the key challenges:

1. Complexity spanning strategic and operational levels – Sustainability and ESG issues are deeply woven into both the strategic and day-to-day operations of an organization. Leaders must understand how big-picture goals connect to practical actions, navigating a web of decisions that impact everything from supply chains to stakeholder relations. This dual-layered complexity makes it challenging for leaders to make informed, responsible choices consistently.
2. The need for a holistic overview – Effective ESG leadership isn’t about isolated initiatives—leaders must balance social, environmental, and economic considerations, often dealing with competing priorities. Developing this systems-thinking mindset is challenging, as it goes against the siloed ways organizations have traditionally operated. Modeling and teaching such an integrated perspective is a significant hurdle.
3. Defining and measuring ESG leadership skills – Unlike technical skills, ESG competencies—such as ethical judgment, stakeholder empathy, and long-term thinking—are challenging to define and quantify. There’s no universal checklist for what makes a leader “sustainable.” This makes it difficult for organizations to assess current capabilities, set development goals, and track progress in a meaningful manner.
4. Existing ESG courses often miss the mark – Many current ESG or sustainability-related training programs are heavy on legal frameworks and compliance requirements but light on engagement and practical application. Participants frequently find these courses dry, theoretical, and disconnected from their everyday work realities. As a result, the actual behavioral change needed for ESG leadership rarely takes root.

Why Turul Winery and FLIGBY’s Experiential Learning Are the Ideal Solution

Turul Winery, as featured in the FLIGBY simulation, provides a unique and powerful environment for developing and testing the competencies essential for sustainable business behavior. FLIGBY’s experiential learning model bridges the gap between theory and practice, making the complexities of sustainable leadership tangible, holistic, and measurable. This setup empowers participants to build and test the very competencies that organizations need to thrive in a sustainability-driven world.

1. Complexity made tangible – By placing participants in the role of managing Turul Winery, FLIGBY immerses them in real-world scenarios where strategic and operational decisions are deeply interconnected. Players must navigate tough choices that simultaneously impact business performance, stakeholder satisfaction, and environmental outcomes—mirroring the true complexity leaders face in sustainability roles.
2. Fostering a holistic perspective – Turul Winery’s simulated ecosystem requires players to think beyond departmental boundaries and short-term gains. They experience firsthand how financial, social, and environmental factors interact, encouraging a systems-thinking mindset. This holistic view is woven into every decision, helping participants break free from siloed thinking and develop the integrated perspective essential for ESG leadership.
3. Testing and measuring real competencies – Unlike traditional assessments, FLIGBY doesn’t just ask what you know—it observes what you do. Every choice in the simulation provides data on the player’s leadership style, ethical reasoning, stakeholder engagement, and long-term orientation. These game-based metrics offer a practical and meaningful way to define, observe, and measure the soft skills and competencies that drive sustainable management, providing a reassurance of the program’s effectiveness.
4. Engaging and relevant learning – FLIGBY transforms learning from passive theory into active experience. Participants are challenged by realistic, dynamic situations—not dry lectures or legal jargon. The engaging narrative of Turul Winery makes complex ESG concepts relatable and memorable, while immediate feedback connects every decision to practical outcomes. This ensures that learning is not only enjoyable but also directly applicable to real-world business challenges, sparking excitement and motivation in the participants.

How Sustainability and ESG Expectations Connect to Csikszentmihalyi’s “Good Business” Concept

Defining “Good Business”

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a pioneer in the field of flow and positive psychology, introduced the concept of “Good Business” as a visionary approach for organizations. This approach, which transcends mere profit maximization, advocates for a meaningful balance between corporate goals and positive contributions to the social and natural environment. It underscores the crucial role of ethical leadership, stakeholder engagement, and the creation of value that benefits not only shareholders but also society at large.

From Early Vision to Modern ESG

Csikszentmihalyi’s early insights anticipated many of the principles that underpin today’s sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) expectations. Modern ESG policies are founded on the principle that long-term business success is inextricably linked to social responsibility and environmental stewardship. The “Good business” philosophy aligns closely with ESG by advocating for decisions that consider the well-being of employees, communities, and the planet, alongside financial performance.

Whereas traditional business models often focused narrowly on short-term gains, both “Good Business” and ESG frameworks call for a broader, more holistic perspective—one that recognizes the interconnectedness of economic, social, and environmental outcomes. This shift reflects a growing understanding that organizations thrive when they create value for all stakeholders, not just for shareholders.

FLIGBY: Bringing Good Business to Life

FLIGBY, co-authored by Prof. Csikszentmihalyi, was designed with this philosophy at its core. The simulation offers an engaging and practical learning journey that immerses participants in the complexities of real-world leadership. Through the lens of Turul Winery, players are challenged to understand and balance the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, making decisions that reflect both business acumen and social responsibility.

Prof. Csikszentmihalyi foresaw that experiential learning—where participants actively engage with realistic scenarios—would be the most effective way to internalize the principles of “Good Business.” FLIGBY’s approach helps leaders develop the skills and mindset needed to navigate the challenges of sustainability and ESG, fostering a new generation of managers who are equipped to create lasting value for both their organizations and society.
In essence, the journey from “Good Business” to modern ESG is a testament to the enduring relevance of Csikszentmihalyi’s vision: true business success is measured not just by financial results, but by the positive impact organizations have on people and the planet.

The Sustainability Assessment is FLIGBY’s latest derivative game results report, designed to provide valuable hints and insights on your leadership approach. It offers a focused lens on how your decisions impact ESG-related outcomes within the simulated environment. By reflecting on these insights, organizations can gain a deeper understanding of their readiness to meet evolving sustainability expectations. This assessment supports the development of leadership behaviors that align corporate goals with broader social and environmental responsibilities. Ultimately, it empowers you to build a stronger, more resilient, and ESG-ready organization for the future.