Sustainable Leadership in Europe Report

SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP IN EUROPE REPORT

The “Sustainable Leadership in Europe” report offers exclusive findings on the state of Sustainable Leadership in Europe’s management. The research has been conducted by Alberto Pastore (Professor at Sapienza University of Rome) and his team in spring 2020. Based on a survey among more than 1500 managers in six European countries (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Denmark), the empirical findings give important insights to policy-makers, social partners and education providers on the gaps between policy objectives and the reality on the ground.

The research helped to serve two primary objectives:

1. Design a new and evidence-based leadership model for managers

2. Design a customized training programme to help European managers transition to new standards of management practice

On this site, you can find an overview on the most relevant findings in the main areas of the research on managers in Europe: knowledge, skills, values and behaviours. The information displayed on this site is based on the “Sustainable Leadership in Europe” study. The main research report describes more in detail the research design, empirical basis and research findings.

Sustainable Leadership Report

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Importance of Sustainability for Managers

While Sustainability is generally very imporant to managers, the research found that the importance of Sustainability is lower in their managerial activity, especially when it comes to environmental sustainability and governance.

Extremely important

Very Important

Moderately important

Slightly or not important

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary gives an overview on the theoretical framework and the findings of the survey, by highlighting the key take-aways for executives, managers, policy-makers and other stakeholders

Read the Executive Summary

Sustainable Leadership Knowledge

Knowledge on sustainability issues

Percentage of managers who are familiar with the following items.

Respect of human rights

Diversity and equal opportunities

Freedom of association

Reduce use of natural resources

Environmental sustainability in value chains

Paris Agreement

European Green Deal

EU non-financial reporting directive

Sustainable Leadership Values

Quality of life
The material requirements of well-being will have been met, and quality of life will be defined by fulfillment, not wealth.
Human solidarity
Human beings will connect in solidarity with the needs, hopes and aspirations of those who live in distant places and future generations.
Ecological sensibility
Nature will be valued as a source of all that supports humans and the entire web of life, as well as a source of endless wonder and enjoyment.

Sustainability values of managers

(extremely and very important)

These results cannot be considered positively, since the motivation necessary for a profound transition process must be very strong and the identification with these values shall be widely spread.

Quality of life

Human solidarity

Ecological sensibility

Sustainable Leadership Skills

Proficiency of Sustainable Leadership Skills

In this section, responding managers were answering with little differences between the items, indicating a rather low familiarity with the issues.

France stands out for “I have the ability to identify the main relevant impacts, positive and negative, that my organisation generates on the entire ecosystem of stakeholders and I have capacity to measure, account and report Sustainability”.
Spain is noticeable for “I have capacity to measure, account and report Sustainability and I am able to develop and implement sustainable business models, that are oriented not only to profit, but which integrate people and planet Sustainability into long-term business strategies”.

Context understanding skills of Senior Management

Context Understanding skills is an area with one of the lowest result in the survey, both in the self-assessment as well as the assessment of Senior Management (see graphic below). Better understanding the context seems to be a priority area for developing trainings for managers.

Excellent

Good

Average

Below average and poor

Members of CEC European Managers fare better in soft skills

In a special complement to the research, it was found that managers affiliated to CEC European Managers generelly score better results for the skills, especially in the soft skill area. This may indicate that managers with a membership in trade unions or manager association benefit from better skill development than other managers.

CEC Database

General Survey

Sustainable Leadership Behaviours

Sustainable or traditional mind-set?

Identification with Sustainable behaviours

(figures for high self-identification)

Practicing social dialogue

Ensuring decent working conditions

Compelling sustainability vision