Key Qualities of Sustainable Leadership

"In a comprehensive review by the researchers Bruce Avolio and Fred Luthans of more than two hundred leadership studies, only one quality among leaders consistently had a positive impact on their employees. It was the capacity to recognize potentials that the employees didn't yet fully see in themselves. Put another way, the best leaders used their own positive energy to bolster their employees' faith in their own abilities and to fuel their optimism and perseverance in the face of stresses and setbacks. That belief from a leader is intoxicating."

Sometimes, corporate sustainability is like playing telephone. Witnessed from a high level, a company's corporate sustainability plan may embrace all the right frameworks, include the buzz words, and authentically and credibly, embrace sustainability initiatives. However, witnessed from the employee level, all that jargon and vision may be lost.

It seems there is a disconnect between a corporate sustainability plan and how that vision filters down and is exercised in the day to day processes of an individual worker's life.
Bridging the gap between corporate sustainability programs and employees rest in the sustainable leaders vision. The question becomes, what are the qualities of sustainable leadership? The post, Three Executive Mindsets that Propel Sustainable Innovation sites curiosity, experimentation and engagement as leading qualities of sustainable leadership and the post, Management's Little Black Dress: Essential Practices for Leaders, sites rigorous measurement, challenging targets, and rewards and incentives as essential practices for sustainable leadership. However, ultimately, “A leader's role is to raise people's aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there.” David Gergen

"Above all else, a leader is the chief energy officer. The most fundamental job of a leader is to recruit, mobilize, inspire, focus, direct, and regularly refuel the energy of those they lead. Energy, after all, is contagious — especially so if you're a leader, by virtue of your disproportionate position and power. The way you're feeling at any given moment profoundly influences how the people who work for you feel. How they're feeling, in turn, profoundly influences how well they perform. A leader's responsibility is not to do the work of those they lead, but rather to fuel them in every possible way to bring the best of themselves to their jobs every day." ~ Tony Schwartz, The CEO Is the Chief Energy Officer

As a sustainability leader, it's imperative to communicate and demonstrate personal and corporate sustainability at all levels - including your energy, thoughts, expressions around eco awareness and business sustainability. Emphasizing the importance of sustainability in business, community, and personal lives to employees expands well beyond the boundaries of the organization. How are you demonstrating sustainable leadership in your organization?