How To Develop Leaders for Sustainability?

Abstract

In 2015, the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly have adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their associated specific targets and indicators. These probably constitute the best blueprint of what we collectivity need to accomplish to address pressing planetary challenges and promote flourishing in place of catastrophes. For companies, it is not only a matter of reducing their negative externalities. It is an opportunity to achieve business success while having a positive impact.

While SDGs constitute precious guides, they are not enough without people able and committed to achieving them. Contemporary leadership has proven inadequate to promote this engagement and achieve the necessary business transformations (MacKie, 2024). Several initiatives have been taken to define the leadership attributes needed to further the sustainability agenda, notably with the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) (Jordan & al., 2021). Developing leaders for sustainability remains a critical challenge. In this article, we build on recent research, on Rosinski’s global coaching approach (2010) and on our experience in the past thirty years. We argue that global coaching is particularly suited to promote the sustainable leadership required to bridge the gap between the current reality and the vision of the SDGs.