In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought it fitting to reflect on pioneers of past and pioneers of present.
Remember the allure of Little House on the Prairie? Pioneer life -- aside from being rough and wholesome -- was exciting. Before anything was established and systems were developed, there was that oh-so-American sense of freedom and possibility.
While working in sustainability doesn't require the use of an outhouse, it does resemble pioneering in the most basic sense of the word -- going to new places and establishing a functioning system. Before all the framework is laid down, there is the possibility of creating an entirely new system, better than any before it.
But being a pioneer -- as we all know from Laura Ingalls Wilder -- takes courage.
As a sustainability professional, do you relate to the pioneer metaphor? If so, this article is for you. What does it take to forage into new territory, and convince your business to grow their sustainability programs?
While writing CSO Back Story, I had the opportunity to speak to several Chief Sustainability Officers about their role as pioneers. Here are seven attributes they share that could support you forge uncharted territory.
1. Who is in your caravan? Form a good team. CSOs today tend to be the first of their kind within the company. But they have created the sustainability function collaboratively with input and resources from their team, co-workers, executive support, and consultants.
2. Separate Yourself From the Program. While Little House on the Prairie helps us visualize pioneer life, I would not recommend watching reruns for inspiration. For inspiration I would turn to Survivor. What often distinguishes the Survivor winner is their ability to know when to perform for the self and when to perform for the group. I find many sustainability professionals don't make the distinction often enough. What is the difference between you and the sustainability function of that company? Can sustainability forge greater ground within your company? Can you forge greater ground?
3. Be Humble. Be prepared for the sustainability programs to take flight and grow beyond your jurisdiction. Charlene Lake, CSO of AT&T, mentioned the need to put your company before your title, and be prepared not to receive a lot of recognition. She also said that "your personal satisfaction should be tied to the progress of the company."
There is much to be said
There is much to be said about this topic, and Ellen has contributed some still-rarely made and important points about pioneering, courage, humbleness, and a “figuring it out” approach.
Still, there needs to be more of a connection between where the CSR field needs to go (and may be starting to), and the attributes of those who can help take it there. That means looking at some assumptions.
For example, the success of the company is still the paramount goal, as “personal success” is tied to it. But how can a company be successful in a failing society? The concept of “value” is too narrow. The business must make a contribution to fixing society, and that might take some strategic alliances and corresponding quid-pro-quo personal relationships with groups and networks outside the company. The ability to forge and manage relationships with groups with very different cultures is not easy to do.
The use of metaphors shows an implicit need to understand the popular culture. Granted this is important—but to a degree. Don’t let it get in the way, time-wise, of reading, learning, thinking, pondering, wondering outside of one’s comfort zone. You never know when you’ll need this external knowledge.
Relatedly, similar to my opinion about the many declarations that sustainability is “simple” (if you think that that then you’re not trying hard enough to see the complexity of such a super-multidisciplinary field); sometimes learning and experiencing some aspects of sustainability does literally “require the use of an outhouse.” But you could learn even there—I learned how to find one in the dark, and not to bring a book in there because I dropped it in you-know-where. And even though I was enjoying the book immensely, it wasn’t worth retrieving it!
Finally, when things do go badly, it may help to remember that part of the purpose of pioneering species is to make it easier for those who come later to make accelerated progress. That might make the wounds easier to live with.
Charlene Lake is a great
Charlene Lake is a great source of wisdom on this topic. Being humble, navigating politics and reaching out for support (not "going it alone" to prove some point)definitely reflect a new take on leadership (and systems thinking). Are most corporations ready for this type of pioneer? I sure hope so. Thanks for a great piece, Ellen.
E-Cycle Environmental
E-Cycle Environmental supports this article and the tying together of pioneers back then and now. We hope that everyone recognizes the many steps of sustainability.
www.ecycleenvironmental.com
Absolutely fabulous article!
Absolutely fabulous article! What a nice juxtaposition - the sustainability pioneer with the pioneers of the American life.