What is Sustainability Leadership?

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What is Sustainability Leadership?
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We describe “sustainability leadership” as conscious engagement in individual and collective actions that nurture and sustain the economic, environmental and social well-being of organizations and communities. It means getting into the game, taking responsibility by tackling and understanding complex local and global issues that impact the lives of people today and in the future, and working side-by-side with others who are seeking to make a difference.

A “sustainability leader” can be described as anyone who consciously chooses to engage in collaborative, transformative change aimed toward the goal of a sustainable future.

The magnitude and complexity of sustainability challenges requires new thinking about the experience of leadership.

Traditional Leadership Model

Leaders are often thought of as those who inspire a shared vision, build consensus, provide direction, and initiate change to ensure successful outcomes. The assumption is that leaders are the “wise ones” and, therefore, have an enlightened view about what direction, outcomes, and ways of engaging are required for success. They often rely on their charismatic ability to persuade followers to engage in actions that serve to bring their visions to life. In turn, people tend to look to their leaders for direction, guidance and answers. They often are willing to defer to “those in charge” rather than act from a position of courage and self-authority that honors their own views in relation to others. This perspective of leadership, and assumed follower response, is deeply engrained in Western culture. However, things are changing.

Sustainability Leadership Model

In contrast to traditional assumptions about leadership, sustainability leaders focus on how members of the human community, individually and collectively, create changes that make sense for long-term prosperity and survivability. Developed from a deeper understanding of individual responsibility and conscious action/interaction within a network of individual who share a common identity (e.g. members of an organization or community who share common challenges), the model of sustainability leadership does not assume that any single individuals has the answers or "knows the way". Instead, the model assumes that ordinary, everyday people—some in formal positions of power, others not—seek to expand their understanding of the challenges they see and share with others and develop a shared view of a viable pathway to create the future they want. They then generate and enact reasonable solutions that can work for them—all within the context of their ongoing interactions with each other as a community of responsible, active individuals.

Sustainability leadership is not prescriptive; leadership actions and the outcomes they produce emerge in the context of continually changing dynamics. This notion of leadership requires paying attention to what is going on in each particular situation, and then figuring out what to do next in the context of a holistic picture that is shared by others. Leaders who operate from this frame of reference seek to build individual and collective capacity (human capital) for dealing with complex challenges. They continually uncover and nurture the leadership potential within themselves and others around them, which is necessary to move toward a sustainable future.

We at the Sustainability Leadership Institute believe that as more people step up to leadership responsibility and develop their capacity for engaging in holistic and purposeful actions with others, the more we will to see outcomes that manifest as positive trends toward sustainability. As people experience the collective effect of their efforts, they become more aware of their own actions in sync with others who contribute to healthier, more vibrant organizations and communities. Everyone benefits from a growing leadership collaborative. Everyone gains when committed individuals become skilled at working creatively with others to build a more sustainability world.

This view of leadership is characterized by a set of principles and related capabilities generated through the Sustainability Leadership Institute’s ongoing research and development activity.



	Home What We Do What is Sustainability? What is Sustainability Leadership? Principles Capabilities Terms and Phrases Offerings Resources Partners Founders and Board Contact Us	What is Sustainability Leadership? We describe “sustainability leadership” as conscious engagement in individual and collective actions that nurture and sustain the economic, environmental and social well-being of organizations and communities. It means getting into the game, taking responsibility by tackling and understanding complex local and global issues that impact the lives of people today and in the future, and working side-by-side with others who are seeking to make a difference. A “sustainability leader” can be described as anyone who consciously chooses to engage in collaborative, transformative change aimed toward the goal of a sustainable future. The magnitude and complexity of sustainability challenges requires new thinking about the experience of leadership. Traditional Leadership Model Leaders are often thought of as those who inspire a shared vision, build consensus, provide direction, and initiate change to ensure successful outcomes. The assumption is that leaders are the “wise ones” and, therefore, have an enlightened view about what direction, outcomes, and ways of engaging are required for success. They often rely on their charismatic ability to persuade followers to engage in actions that serve to bring their visions to life. In turn, people tend to look to their leaders for direction, guidance and answers. They often are willing to defer to “those in charge” rather than act from a position of courage and self-authority that honors their own views in relation to others. This perspective of leadership, and assumed follower response, is deeply engrained in Western culture. However, things are changing. Sustainability Leadership Model In contrast to traditional assumptions about leadership, sustainability leaders focus on how members of the human community, individually and collectively, create changes that make sense for long-term prosperity and survivability. Developed from a deeper understanding of individual responsibility and conscious action/interaction within a network of individual who share a common identity (e.g. members of an organization or community who share common challenges), the model of sustainability leadership does not assume that any single individuals has the answers or "knows the way". Instead, the model assumes that ordinary, everyday people—some in formal positions of power, others not—seek to expand their understanding of the challenges they see and share with others and develop a shared view of a viable pathway to create the future they want. They then generate and enact reasonable solutions that can work for them—all within the context of their ongoing interactions with each other as a community of responsible, active individuals. Sustainability leadership is not prescriptive; leadership actions and the outcomes they produce emerge in the context of continually changing dynamics. This notion of leadership requires paying attention to what is going on in each particular situation, and then figuring out what to do next in the context of a holistic picture that is shared by others. Leaders who operate from this frame of reference seek to build individual and collective capacity (human capital) for dealing with complex challenges. They continually uncover and nurture the leadership potential within themselves and others around them, which is necessary to move toward a sustainable future. We at the Sustainability Leadership Institute believe that as more people step up to leadership responsibility and develop their capacity for engaging in holistic and purposeful actions with others, the more we will to see outcomes that manifest as positive trends toward sustainability. As people experience the collective effect of their efforts, they become more aware of their own actions in sync with others who contribute to healthier, more vibrant organizations and communities. Everyone benefits from a growing leadership collaborative. Everyone gains when committed individuals become skilled at working creatively with others to build a more sustainability world. This view of leadership is characterized by a set of principles and related capabilities generated through the Sustainability Leadership Institute’s ongoing research and development activity.