On 10 April 2026, the Artemis II spacecraft, Integrity, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a historic 10-day journey around the Moon.

While the world celebrated this record-setting flyby, the mission provides a timely prompt for leaders to reflect on the difference between achieving a landmark goal and fulfilling a true organisational mission.

In his article “A goal isn’t a mission,” published in strategy+business (a publication of the PwC network), Theodore Kinni the contributing editor and author of the blog ‘Reading, Writing re: Management’, draws a sharp distinction between a “mission with a small m” (a tactical, achievable task) and a “Mission with a large M” (a high-level aspiration providing long-term direction). Kinni recounts the 1962 White House argument between President John F. Kennedy, who viewed landing on the moon as a “finish line” goal, and NASA Administrator James Webb, who argued for “pre-eminence in space” as a sustainable national capability.

Webb feared that once the specific “small m” moon-landing goal was achieved, the agency would suffer an identity crisis, indeed a prediction that manifested in the post-Apollo era.

This tension between short-term targets and long-term vitality mirrors the evolution of corporate governance in South Africa, as shown by the shift in emphasis in King Code from IV to V – from shared value to system value.

The Evolution of Value: From Shared to Systems

The shared value perspective often identifies mutually beneficial “overlaps” where economic activities produce positive social or environmental effects. However, this “overlapping circles” model leaves large areas of social and environmental resilience outside of organisational concerns.

Systems value, the philosophical heart of the King V Code, recognises that an organisation is not merely overlapping with society but is embedded within it. Long-term success is impossible without the vitality and resilience of the broader economic, social, and environmental systems.

The Rhodes Business School Approach: Leadership for Sustainability

At Rhodes Business School, our commitment to this Systems Value paradigm is encapsulated in our guiding essence: Leadership for Sustainability. We do not view sustainability as an “add-on” but as the very foundation of business, driven through our unique 4E Model: Economy, Ethics, Ecology, and Equity.

We aim to develop leaders who move beyond “small m” goals to embrace “large M” systemic transformation through three dimensions: Thinking Integratively, Acting as a Principled Leader, and Being an Engaged Citizen.

Evidence in Action: Pioneering Research

The practical application of this philosophy is evident in the work of our four recent PhD graduates:

Dr Johann Evertse (supervised by Professors Noel Pearse and Rosaan Krüger) applied integrative thinking to develop a stewardship-based collective bargaining framework for the automotive industry, ensuring the long-term viability of a sector critical to the national Economy.

Dr Peter Mazunga (supervised by Professor Pearse) explored collective decision-making within the health NGO sector, identifying how leaders navigate complex governance to ensure healthcare delivery, a vital component of Ethics and social capital.

Dr Sibongile Magwagwa (supervised by Professor  Pearse) investigated the career progression of engineers, highlighting how institutional dynamics and socio-economic contexts constrain professional formation, addressing the Equity dimension of our model.

Dr Nokonwaba Gcume (supervised by Professor Tshidi Mohapeloa) developed a framework to strengthen the agility of South African manufacturing SMEs using best practices from BRICS countries. Her work reinforces the Economy pillar by fostering resilience in the small business systems that underpin national prosperity.

A Mission Beyond the Moon

Just as NASA’s true mission is not merely a splashdown, but the establishment of an enduring human presence in space, the mission of the modern leader is not just hitting a target.

At Rhodes Business School, we challenge leaders to look beyond “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” and focus on the integrated thinking required to preserve the systems we all rely on. Our Mission is to transform the way the world does business, ensuring “enough sustainability in time” as called for in the King V Report, for generations to come.