The Sustainability Challenge: Is Your Leadership Built for the Long Term?

The Sustainability Challenge: Is Your Leadership Built for the Long Term?

"Sustainable leadership is about nurturing potential and inspiring continuous improvement, not just immediate results." – Peter Drucker

In today’s fast-changing world, sustainable leadership has become more than just a buzzword—it’s a necessity. Yet, many of us begin our leadership journeys with a “command and control” approach, only to realise it has a shelf life. But how do you go from pushing for short-term wins to building long-term success?

At a recent business forum on the future of M&A in Australia, I had the pleasure of hearing from Liz Ellis, the former Australian Women’s Netball Captain and now Chairwoman of Netball Australia. She shared a powerful story about her time captaining the Sydney Swifts that hit home for me.

"Early in my career, I was very commanding," Liz explained. "In my second year as captain, we won a Premiership. But soon, the team became tired of my leadership style. They were exhausted, not just physically but mentally."

Her story reminded me of my own journey as a young executive chef. At the time, the kitchen was a pressure cooker—literally and figuratively. Yelling to get things done was the norm. I was one of the youngest executive chefs in the company and, honestly, I knew very little about inspiring people to greatness. Like Liz, I found short-term success through command. But soon, I realised that my team, too, was burning out.

The Commanding Leadership Trap

Both in sports and business, many of us start our careers believing that success comes from driving people hard. And to some extent, that works—in the short term.

But, as Liz and I both learned, this approach eventually leads to:

  • Team fatigue: People become mentally drained from always being "on edge."
  • High turnover: Good talent leaves because they feel unsupported.
  • Limited innovation: Commanding leadership stifles creativity and ownership.

The Shift to Sustainable Leadership

Sustainable leadership isn’t about softening up; it’s about setting your team up for long-term success. Here’s what that transition looked like for Liz and for me:

1. Empower, Don’t Command Instead of dictating every play, Liz began trusting her teammates to take ownership of their roles. I learned that a great kitchen runs not because the chef yells, but because every team member knows their value.

2. Create Space for Growth Liz shared how she worked on listening more—creating space for her team to bring their ideas to the table. In my kitchen, I started asking my team what they needed from me, and how we could all improve. The change was immediate.

3. Lead by Example Instead of trying to be everywhere at once, Liz focused on being a model of resilience and teamwork. Similarly, I stopped trying to solve every problem and started showing my team how to navigate challenges through collaboration.

Why Sustainable Leadership Matters in Business (and Sport)

In the fast-paced, high-stakes world of mergers and acquisitions, just like in competitive sport, sustainable leadership is the key to building a resilient team that can thrive under pressure.

The question every leader should ask is: Am I only focused on winning today, or am I building a team that can win tomorrow too?

Real-Life Lessons from Business and Sport

  • Apple: When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs, he adopted a quieter, more collaborative style. Critics doubted him at first, but Cook built a sustainable culture that led Apple to become a $2 trillion company.
  • The All Blacks Rugby Team: After a period of underperformance, the team focused on building a leadership culture where every player had a voice. The result? A dominant era in world rugby.


The bottom line is this: Leadership isn't about commanding the loudest; it’s about creating an environment where everyone can succeed. Whether you’re leading a kitchen, a netball team, or an organization through an M&A, the same principle holds true.

Sustainable leadership doesn't just deliver results—it builds legacies. Are you ready to make the shift?


#Leadership #SustainableLeadership #TeamBuilding #BusinessLeadership #SportsLeadership

Zac Ahrens

SSP Australia & New Zealand - National Exec Chef

1 个月

Great advice Dominic Cain

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Wayne Brown

I help Businesses Achieve Sustainable Growth | Consulting, Exec. Development & Coaching | 45+ Years | CEO @ S4E | Building M.E., AP & Sth Asia | Best-selling Author, Speaker & Awarded Leader

1 个月

Interesting! Leadership is about creating something that lasts sustainable leaders build teams that can thrive even in their absence.

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Andrew Struthers

I provide businesses with services and solutions that enhance revenue growth. This includes forming strategic partnerships and improving sales processes, all without the need for additional advertising expenditure.

1 个月

empowering teams breeds success. walking the talk inspires legacy.

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Shoaib Baig

C-Level Executive/ Dynamic Business Consultant/ Transformation Coach

1 个月

Dominic Cain, your article beautifully articulates the shift from a command-and-control leadership style to a more sustainable, people-centric approach. Peter Drucker's quote, given at the start of article, resonates deeply. Emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role in this transition. By fostering empathy, understanding, and trust, leaders can create a positive work environment where individuals feel valued and empowered. This not only leads to increased productivity and innovation but also cultivates a lasting legacy that transcends short-term gains.

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Joshua Powell

Director @ Hospo Collective | High-impact strategies, dynamic leadership

1 个月

Great read Dominic Cain having grown up in very toxic and shouty kitchens both domestically and overseas when I finally got into a position of leadership adopted those same attitudes. Had to learn the hard way that it wasn’t the best path forward and had some great mentors to help me on my journey.

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