What makes a great leader? It’s not an easy question to answer, and it seems we are facing something of a leadership crisis when it comes to embedding sustainability in the business world.
We’re experiencing a dearth of stand-out leaders. We keep hearing the same old names: Paul Polman of Unilever, Sir Ian Cheshire of Kingfisher and the late Ray Anderson of Interface. But where is the rush of new faces snapping at their heels, finding better and more innovative ways of putting sustainability at the heart of their businesses?
Are our business schools and corporations failing to nurture the next generation of sustainable leaders or is the business world actually full of unsung heroes working quietly behind the scenes?
Over the next nine months we’re going to be exploring the subject of leadership in depth. We’ll look at the psychological qualities and skill-sets required for good leadership and pick out the people who are leading the charge, especially the unfamiliar faces.
There will be a focus on preparing the next generation of business leaders to take on global sustainability challenges and we’ll examine leadership practices around the world. We’ll also explore diversity as a key issue. How can the gender balance be addressed and what will propel more women into the top echelons of business? Ultimately, what is holding corporate leaders back from disruptive, sustainable transformation?
Get involved
This is just a snapshot of the topics we’ll be covering in the coming months. We’d love to hear your ideas, questions and suggestions on what else we should be focusing on.
Who should be writing? Which experts, academics and business voices have something interesting to say about leadership? Who are the unsung heroes when it comes to sustainability leadership? What are the key leadership qualities required to push forward sustainability? Are there any standout examples of good or bad practice?
Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below, email jo.moulds.casual@theguardian.com, or tweet us @GuardianSustBiz to help us form our leadership coverage.
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