What kind of leader can drive sustainability initiatives through an organization, ask bestselling author Daniel Goleman and
Christoph Lueneburger, leader of Egon Zehnder International's global
Sustainability Practice, in an article for the
MIT Sloan Management Review. In the authors' view, there are 3 stages in the drive towards implementing sustainability initiatives and, unlike other corporate initiatives, each phase requires a different set of leadership competences. In Phase 1, executives need to make the case for change, so collaboration and influencing skills are essential, along with the ability to lead change, note the authors.
Phase 2 involves translating vision into action, which means gathering hard financial, environmental and social data that companies can use to make strong decisions about various trade-offs. According to the authors' research, successful leaders in this phase are results-oriented, motivated by commercial targets and understand how to turn sustainability into a competitive advantage.
In the last phase of the drive towards sustainability, which involves expanding boundaries, the focus is on strategic orientation, write the authors. Sustainability leaders in Phase 3 must pursue long-term investments and partnerships that strengthen and transform organizational assets, they add. Curiosity, insight, and the ability to ask questions that probe a company's core purpose are essential leadership qualities in this final phase, the authors conclude.
