7 Success Factors for Sustainable Leadership
Since Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” (2006), sustainability has got an increasing importance in company strategy and positioning.
Some companies have adopted sustainability in a more holistic way, e.g. BMW, Colruyt and Nike. Other ones are doing this in a more tactical or opportunistic way. Some companies stay non-believers and don’t integrate sustainability in their strategy at all, nor strategic, nor tactical.
It is however generally accepted that being “not sustainable” is no longer an intelligent option. The world is changing and this has inevitable an impact on company strategy. Now what is sustainability? It seems that everybody has his own interpretation.
Sustainability has many dimenions
According to qualitative research with C-level managers, realised by a Belgian research agency specialised in sustainability, i.e. Quality Research, sustainability is understood in many ways.
Some managers are interpreting it as the need for being more creative and innovative, this in order to stay ahead with the increasing competition. Other ones are considering it in a more social way.
They are emphasising the social responsibility of a company and the duty to care about the world it exists in. They believe that a company cannot be sustaining if the environment in which it exists is not sustainable.
Other ones are emphasising the need to develop long term strategies that keep the company alive in the long run. More brand oriented managers believe that sustainability needs to be integrated in the brand DNA and brand values.
So according to the company or the manager, sustainability is understood in a different way. Some are focusing more on the company; others are focusing on the environment.
There is nothing wrong with those different angles. There all focused on long term survival. (full presentation of the results of Quality research at the end of this article).
Greenwashing is not sustainable
What should be avoided is “Greenwashing”. The term is generally used when marketers or advertising agencies spend significantly more money or time on advertising “being green”, rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices and really being sustainable.
This is also often portrayed by changing the name or label of a product to evoke the natural environment or nature, or just by putting some pictures of a green environment on the packaging. “Greenwashing” does not equal “sustainability”.
It’s a rather unsustainable way to refurbish company image.
7 Success factors for sustainable leadership
Sustainable leaders have a more global, holistic vision on sustainability. They have integrated it in the company’s objectives, strategy and culture. They take People, Planet and Profit (3P model) into consideration when developing sustainable strategy and positioning.
7 Success factors of sustainable leadership:
- A holistic vision and the ability to execute it
- Top management support
- Long term thinking (innovation, long term profitability)
- Sustainability goals and measurement
- Social responsibility (people, planet)
- Incorporation in the company’s culture, present at all levels
- Integration in the brand DNA
