Mainstreaming sustainable leadership in the world of work
“We must change direction now if we want to preserve hope for a sustainable future. Therefore, we need leaders and managers that set a sustainable direction and embrace the green transition.”
Torkild Justesen, Secretary General of CEC European Managers
CEC European Managers and its partners are proud to present you with « Mainstreaming Sustainable Leadership », a report covering the conclusions and recommendations of the Sustainable Leadership EU Project. In this publication, we explore why and how social partners have piloted the Sustainable leadership project. Every day, managers and leaders take hundreds of decisions that have a direct impact on our societies and economies.
With almost 10 million managers in the EU alone, there is a strong responsibility for them to lead the sustainability transition personally and professionally. “We believe that sustainable leadership is one of the key elements to reach the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfil the ambitions of the EU Green Deal.” says Torkild Justesen.
But the European workforce and particularly the managerial workforce need new competencies. The research covered by the report shows that managers aren’t equipped with Sustainable Leadership. Indeed, only 17% of EU managers said they have been educated or trained on sustainability. It has become clear that investments need to be poured onto sustainability education and trainings.
The sustainable leaders project has designed a pilot training programme that responded to the needs of managers in this transition. The trainings provide a new model incorporating competencies needed for managers to integrate sustainability into their organisation’s activities.
Today’s challenge is to mobilise the resources for change to happen on the ground, it is a leadership challenge. Leaders and managers embracing sustainable leadership will need to promote organisational learning, upskilling and create new sustainable jobs. Skills for green jobs as well as skills for greening the jobs are decisive to make the transition happen.
Our sustainable leadership model, our trainings and our community development have supported leaders and managers in their pioneering work to mainstream sustainable leadership. But many more actions can be taken now to continue our efforts and leverage impact on sustainability performance.
Are you ready for #SustainableLeadership?
