What Makes a Sustainability Leader Successful?

Conclusions

Sustainability means different things to different people and different companies. And, because there is no universally accepted definition, it makes it more challenging to embed social and environmental issues into a company’s business strategies.

To be successful, sustainability leaders must provide context for their work in the same terms as other business units and define their impact in the “lingua franca” of the business. Rather than using sustainability jargon, they must use words and phrases that are consistent with a company’s culture and business strategy. Only after trust is earned and collaboration is underway can they expect to be successful implementing programs that will deliver a return on investment – both reputational and financial – to their companies.