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Editor's note: This article originally appeared on the BSR blog, and is reprinted with permission.
Earlier this week, I was invigorated and inspired by the words of Richard Gillies, Director of Plan A at Marks and Spencer. Speaking at our webinar with BSR's Aron Cramer and the Guardian's Jo Confino on redefining leadership in 2011 and beyond, Gillies referred to the "Sustainability Revolution" that will transform our global society in the decades to come. Like the Industrial Revolution and the Computer Revolution that followed, Gillies noted the Sustainability Revolution will be observed and experienced by many but led by few.
We know that business will have to play an enormous role in the coming transformation, but which companies will stand out and make this change a reality? Consider these five ways your company can take a leading role.
- Focus on your core. Make sure your sustainability strategy aligns with your core business strategy and your guiding mission. Don't treat it as an add-on that exists outside of your day-to-day business.
- Lead from the top. Sustainability strategies with buy-in from the top see more success than initiatives that germinate and remain at more modest levels of management. Get your CEO to see the business, brand, and strategic value of an ambitious sustainability agenda.
- Engage the rest of us. When the CEO makes something a mandate, as employees, we all pay attention. But when invited to participate in an innovative strategy that means something at the individual level, we take on a new level of ownership. As Gillies said, "Keep it real, relevant, and now."
- Be big and bold -- and tell the world. Set audacious sustainability goals and make them public. Don't be afraid to aim high and wonder how you'll get there. "It's about moving the market by putting a stake in the ground," said Gillies. Once you get companies moving toward innovation in an industry or practice area, the status quo will no longer be acceptable.
- Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Transformative change won't happen in a vacuum, and inspiration may look very different from what you're used to. Engage in bridge building and dialogue with unlikely allies to not only envision how and where your company can lead, but to start new partnerships that can have bigger -- and more lasting -- impact.
BSR will explore the idea of leadership in sustainability over the next few months, culminating in the BSR Conference in early November. We hope you join us in San Francisco to share your ideas and thoughts on redefining leadership. In the meantime, will you be part of the Sustainability Revolution, or will you be watching from the sidelines?
Photo CC-licensed by Chris Corwin.
Thank-you Ms. Janin for a
Thank-you Ms. Janin for a compelling set of guidelines for becoming a leader in the sustainability revolution. Permit me to add a 6th guideline:
6. Become a Learning Organization. The sustainability journey has no set destination or certification, but represents the process of learning and evolving at both the individual and organizational levels. However, the ability to learn does not come easily for individuals or organizations. Habit patterns, inertia, fear and political exigencies pose stubborn barriers in typically conservative corporate cultures. As the learning organization guru Peter Senge notes, self-mastery is core to an individual's ability to learn. Skills like reflection, listening and collaboration are necessary for an environment conducive to learning and self and organizational evolution. The organizations that create cultures of learning, wherein new ideas can come from any level and be reviewed and implemented (at any level) in a timely manner, will lead the sustainability revolution. The only constant is change, and the ability to make change an ally distinguishes effective leaders.
ScienceDaily (Apr. 22, 2011)
ScienceDaily (Apr. 22, 2011) — New research by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory finds strong evidence that homes with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems sell for a premium over homes without solar systems.
Transformative change won't
Transformative change won't happen in a vacuum, and inspiration may look very different from what you're used to. Engage in bridge building and dialogue with unlikely allies to not only envision how and where your company can lead, but to start new partnerships that can have bigger -- and more lasting -- impact.