A Sustainable Lead

Once I read a report called Sustainable Transformation, by Kantar, which highlighted how sustainability holds different meanings because “different issues have a different impact, depending on how close to home they feel.”

It caught my attention because sustainability is about much more than green practices and environmental solutions. I went after the general meaning of the term and found out the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future, published in 1987. There, sustainability is defined as the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Note that even though the Report is old, such definition can be used today as a guide on how we can see our environment and our economy.

Along this report, the authors determine three main pillars that form the foundation to sustainability:

• Environmental Sustainability: Conserving natural resources and minimizing our impact on the planet through actions like reducing pollution, conserving energy, and protecting biodiversity.
• Social Sustainability: Building equitable and just societies by promoting human rights, reducing poverty, and ensuring access to essential services like healthcare and education.
• Economic Sustainability: Focusing on long-term economic growth through sustainable business practices, fair trade, and responsible consumption.

If we look over what sustainability stands for, of course people are in the center of it. It’s about creating safe spaces to develop each one, to engage communities to change some habits, and it also has everything to do with our work environment.

We can learn so much from what nature already masters. Take the bamboo tree as an example: this plant is known as a symbol of resilience because it grows fast, resprouts quickly, and is very flexible, able to bend without breaking. These are great skills for someone to develop when becoming a leader. In other words, sustainability could be practiced as a new soft skill. 

When we look at the intersection of sustainability and leadership, we uncover a powerful partnership. Strong leaders can drive their teams toward innovative and sustainable solutions by fostering diverse perspectives, encouraging critical thinking, and modeling responsible resource use. This approach aligns with the core principles of sustainability, which emphasize long-term planning, responsible use of resources, and social equity. Just as sustainability promotes a balanced and enduring relationship with the environment, effective leadership cultivates harmonious and productive relationships within organizations. 

I learned along my career that people are more likely to connect with stories when they resonate with them or can see their impact, that's the power of storytelling, as this Harvard Study explains. We tend to remember presentations better when they incorporate aspects of identification and many of us can still recall jingles from childhood radio advertisements. So, in order to really make changes in our daily routines or to generate improvements around our space, it's interesting to connect situations, identify the context and find out a way to impact with results that could really promote positive outcomes.

I would invite other leaders and key opinion makers to reflect on implementing some actionable pillars towards sustainability for the next year inside your organization:

• Inspiring people by leading for example: Communicate the importance of sustainability across your organization and beyond. Share best practices, collaborate with partners, and advocate for sustainable policies at local and global levels. By doing so, you can amplify your impact and inspire systemic change.
• Promoting behavioral change that results in a business positive impact : Implement practical steps such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and sourcing materials responsibly. Simple initiatives, like eliminating single-use plastics or optimizing office lighting, can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency.
• Placing people as protagonists of the change: Prioritize employee well-being by offering flexible work arrangements, promoting diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture of collaboration. A healthy, happy workforce is more innovative and engaged.

And, of course, exercising optimism about the future is a crucial ingredient for driving sustainable transformation (as my wife tells me, I am an “an annoying optimist”). By embracing sustainability, we can shape a better world where human progress aligns with environmental responsibility. Let's work together to build a more sustainable and equitable planet, where human progress and environmental stewardship go hand-in-hand. By prioritizing sustainable practices in our daily lives and inspiring others to do the same, we can create a thriving future for everyone. It's a perfect goal for 2025, right?