Sustainable development is often characterized by the intersection of environment, economics, and community. But that conceptualization is theory without practice.
Sustainable development is, ultimately, about leadership and management. The triple bottom line must be integrated through leadership and management.
Leadership for sustainability requires the courage to fail and adapt. We cannot wait for government or other leadership from ‘above’. Everyone must lead from where they are. Our challenges are huge and complex. Our institutions are limited and designed for 20th century problems. We need new solutions created through the very difficult process of collaborative leadership.
But collaboration is hard. It takes time. And it fails. Often.
More and more I hear agreement that problems we face are acute and the necessity for action imminent. But I also hear blame cast on lack of leadership: Businesses suffer the myopia of quarterly reports. Civil society is underfunded or corrupt. Government is paralyzed by politics, debt and bureaucracy. Responsibility is diffuse: the problem is everyone’s and no one’s
The only way forward is through leadership. You must lead from where you are. Be willing to fail, learn, adapt, lead and fail some more.