PART I

What is sustainable leadership?

Sustainable leadership is when leaders of businesses manage companies in a way that benefits societies and the environment and long-term sustainable development goals, such as ending poverty, while maintaining financial performance.

Often, Sustainable leadership is also referred to as PPP, or the triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit.

What traits and skills are essential for sustainable leaders?

• Courage

• Long Term vision

• Cultural Sensitivity

• Transparent communication

• Managing complexity

• Innovative

• Open minded systemic/holistic thinker

• Empathic

• Integrity

• Continuous education and learning

A sustainability leader is someone who inspires and supports action towards a better world,

who cares about GLOBAL goals.

According to a report released at the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit, 92% of CEOs believe integration of sustainability will be important to the success of their business.

So how can leaders and organisations ensure to focus on making sustainability sustainable? And how can leaders make sustainability core to the DNA of their teams? 

The good news is sustainable leadership methods can be fostered and developed — companies and in particular HR and career development teams can shape and influence the career journeys of their leaders to help them grow an understanding of the strategic importance of sustainability. This long-term global goal on achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development should also be reflected in the recruitment and hiring process to ensure that newly hired leaders show the above mentioned characteristics of sustainable business leaders!

Furthermore, sustainable leaders can ensure they integrate sustainability across strategy, operations and stakeholder engagement. CEO’s become change agents, transformational leaders with a long-term vision!

Leaders have a huge opportunity to make sustainability central to their organization’s culture and leadership, by e.g. focusing on sustainability experience or a sustainable mindset a requirement for an appointment. This means the need for role specifications where sustainability experience or mindset is an actual requirement.

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