How to Become a Leader in the Next Generation

Organizations of the future need sustainable leadership, especially those that incorporate ESG theory. Leadership will be required to meet the needs of today's fast-paced, highly-competitive world in which an entire generation of leaders is needed to ensure agility, adaptability, and accountability at all levels of the organization. In order to achieve this, sustainable leadership skills are required, such as strong communication and interpersonal skills, creativity and innovation, goal setting and problem-solving skills, motivation and perseverance skills, critical thinking and analytical skills, team collaboration and cooperation skills, among others. These are essential competencies that leaders must possess in the 21st century.

What is Sustainable Leadership?

While there is no standardized definition of sustainable leadership, it can be generally defined as a way of leading that promotes and supports an organization's long-term success by integrating social, environmental, and economic factors. The process is sometimes called "triple bottom line management." Triple bottom line (TBL) refers to measuring an organization's performance with three equally weighted measures: its financial results, its impact on society, and its effect on our environment. The idea behind TBL is that an organization should not be punished for providing valuable services or products—for example, cleaning up after a storm or researching vaccines. Instead, an organization should be rewarded for all it does—as long as it's sustainable over time.

Sustainable Leadership Requires New Values

Sustainable leadership is not just about doing the right thing by reducing your carbon footprint or joining environmental groups. Rather, sustainable leadership is more than an idea—it is a way of thinking and behaving that embraces all six dimensions of sustainability. This means finding ways to become more agile, adaptable, and accountable—which requires new mindsets and behaviors for many leaders. It also means becoming comfortable with uncertainty by learning how to harness creative tension and recognize when change is needed. To succeed in today's rapidly-changing world, sustainable leaders must embrace these new mindsets at all levels of their organizations. As Stephen R Covey said: Begin with the end in mind. Sustainable leaders begin with new mindsets that enable them to adapt quickly to change.

Sustainable Leadership Requires New Mindsets

ESG theory—integrating environmental, social, and governance into business strategy—is becoming more important than ever. In order for sustainable leadership to flourish, these new mindsets must be adopted by leaders at all levels of an organization. Business leaders must begin to integrate ESG standards into their operations by thinking outside of traditional financial outcomes while remaining committed to profitability. They need to think about how their actions impact customers, employees, communities, and society as a whole. At its core, sustainable leadership is about creating value through long-term growth and development rather than short-term gains. To do so requires a new way of thinking that’s both strategic and ethical. It means understanding how your company fits into society as well as what it can do to positively impact it. It also means understanding that profits are not always linked with societal good—and being OK with that fact if you want to lead sustainably.

Sustainable Leadership Requires New Behaviors

In today's fast-paced world, leaders are under pressure like never before. This has led to increased stress levels and burnout. To cope with such circumstances, it is necessary for new leadership behaviors and mindsets to be developed. The emergence of ESG theory is directly linked with changing leadership behaviors and mindsets across all organizations.

The ESG Theory of Change

When you are trying to decide which of your employees has leadership potential, it is crucial to take time and objectively assess who those people might be. Ask yourself, who would make a great leader? Then define what you believe makes someone an effective leader: having excellent listening skills? being inspiring? acting with integrity? being efficient? You don't necessarily need your next leader to excel at all these qualities; just give some thought as to what skills and qualities you want them to possess. When it comes time for promotions or new hires, use that list when making decisions about whom you'll choose. The sooner everyone knows what's valued, the easier it will be for your organization.

Personal Development Programs

The skills that organizations are most often looking for today are communication and collaboration. New leaders will also need to be flexible, adaptable, and able to shift focus quickly as situations change. A good way to become better at these things is by taking part in personal development programs. These programs can teach you how to succeed as an effective leader while still letting you retain your individuality and unique strengths. You'll have the chance to learn from other professionals and master new skills before they're required of you at work. With new leadership skills under your belt, you'll be ready for anything!

Corporate Education Solutions

A recent survey found that 61% of employees are not engaged at work. The biggest cause for disengagement was due to an inability for leaders, specifically managers, to inspire their teams. Companies would be better off training their employees and teaching them how to lead rather than continuing with strategies that only reach some employees and fail others. Now is the time for corporations to break away from traditional methods of leadership training and adopt agile leadership models like LPI?’s Leadership AgilityTM education programs.

Summary

Organizations of the future need sustainable leadership, especially those that incorporate ESG theory. Leadership will be required to meet the needs of today's fast-paced, highly-competitive world. Sustainable leaders must embrace these new mindsets at all levels of their organizations. This means becoming more agile, adaptable, and accountable. Sustainable leadership is about creating value through long-term growth and development rather than short-term gains.

To do so requires a new way of thinking that's both strategic and ethical. The emergence of ESG theory is directly linked with changing leadership behaviours and mindsets. If you're looking for a new boss, think about what qualities you want them to possess. Personal development programs can help you become an effective leader in the workplace.