Will Your Business Lag or Lead in Sustainability?

Bob Willard in his classic book on the business case for sustainability, The Sustainability Advantage, had this to say “Companies that lag (in sustainability) will be history, trapped in a hoax of perpetual, unsustainable growth. Companies that lead (in sustainability) will win.”

With the economic recession in the past two years it has been difficult for small to medium sized companies to move forward with sustainability initiatives and projects. The trend for sustainability has not died and will be important factor as the U.S. economy strengthens. According to a recent report by United Nations Global Compact and  Accenture, an overwhelming majority of CEO’s, over 93% say that sustainability will be critical to the future success of companies, in spite of the recent economic downturn.  Most believe also that within a decade most businesses will merge sustainability within their core business. In the report, CEO’s also identified the consumer as their most important stakeholder as it relates to environmental concerns.

Sustainability planning takes time. Be the lead in your business and industry in sustainability.

The 7 Leadership Practices by Bob Willard

I had the chance today to hear Bob Willard discussing his new book, The Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook (New Society Publishers). The book is about leading organizations in the sustainability movement. He talks about the 7 Leadership practices essential for moving a company towards sustainability;

1. Get credible, stay credible: Leaders must establish their credibility and build trust with their group and/or organization.
2. Dialogue: Hone in on the communication skills and engage in thoughtful discussions. Be a good listener and be ready to hear about success and challenges.
3. Collaborate, educate, network: Encourage collaboration and education among employees.
4. Influence and influencers: Don’t do it alone, engage those individuals who have influence in an organization and seek their help, guidance and advocacy.
5. Meet them where they are: Don’t push the skeptics, meet them where they are and show how sustainability strategies are important to their job and the organization.
6. Piggyback existing initiatives: Create sustainability initiatives that align with current company goals and objectives.
7. Practice ‘planful opportunism’ : Engage senior leadership in the initiatives.

If you haven’t read it yet, I also suggest Bob’s book called the Sustainability Advantage where he discusses the business case for sustainability.