Leadership, Trust, and Values: New York

01 Nov 2011 – Lindsay Clinton

SustainAbility and GlobeScan sat down to breakfast in New York recently in the fourth in a series of discussions on “Leadership, Trust and Value.” Over the last few months we’ve held several gatherings about sustainability aspirations with our clients and collaborators in London, DC and San Francisco. At this iteration, colleagues from Cisco, Context America, Goldman Sachs, IFF, Mission Markets, and the Overbrook Foundation joined us. The diversity of our group made our discussion—which volleyed from the evolution of the sustainability movement to “NGO lethargy” and the off-gassing of Styrofoam—all the more interesting.

At a restaurant not too far from Occupy Wall Street, we heard fairly hopeful perspectives on the direction of sustainability leadership. While our group differed on the depth of progress made over the last several decades, many felt that sustainability as a practice has moved rapidly, and that we’ll make great strides in the next two decades. As the coffee flowed, we identified several levers that already are influencing, or will influence, our ability to succeed on our sustainability journey. A handful of the most resonant observations and ideas appear below.

1. Strategic case-making: While it is tempting to lead a sustainability argument with evidence of environmental or social benefit, these messages don’t resonate as much as numbers do. While some opined that the case for sustainability must tie to profit, others believe that even if sustainable choices don’t prove profitable in the short term, we should at the very least, measure what we do, how well we perform, and track the costs and benefits. Whether we aim to mobilize investors to use more positive screens for their investment decisions, or endeavor to get a CEO to change course, what gets measured will matter. Sustainability leaders can and should use data to demonstrate progress and crunch the numbers toward sustainable business decisions.
2. Youth who push buttons: The jury is out as to whether young people today are more politicized than earlier generations. But, what is clear is that young people can create movements with an ease that no generation before them has experienced. This cohort—those under 35—has become adept at building an audience, sharing ideas, and mobilizing networks. With tools for mobilization at their disposal, young people can be a powerful group to engage—or to be wary of if you’re not on your toes.
3. #OccupyThis: Our city has become the backdrop to a groundswell of discontent about our current economic system. The 99% are embittered with financial institutions specifically, and corporations in general, and share a disdain for political elites. Some of our colleagues believe the protests should be redirected at government rather than companies—perhaps a rebranding is in order? How about Occupy Washington or more specifically, Occupy K Street? Others felt that companies need government to take the tough calls and enforce stricter rules. We’re not sure where our 21st century protest movement will lead, but there’s little doubt that people are not afraid to “occupy” and that this sort of mobilization will be around for awhile.
4. Complex Collaboration: The issues we are trying to solve require collaboration, often between and amongst unusual bedfellows. All too often, cause-driven organizations chip away at the problem alone, rather than teaming up. As of late, NGOs seem to be particularly guilty of plugging away at the same issues in vacuum-sealed silos. Outcomes would be stronger if like-minded groups worked together to leverage their strength on particular pain points.
5. Confrontation: While collaboration is necessary, several in our group cautioned that too many NGOs have been co-opted by the companies they once mobilized against. Greenpeace remains one of the few organizations that still commands corporate attention and can shift company behaviour. Ironically, some companies express the desire for more NGO pressure. Without agenda-driven NGOs, or proactive, but restrictive policy, it is harder for internal changemakers at companies to make the case for course correction. In the last decade, many NGOs have collaborated with companies due to successful stakeholder engagement efforts. But, in some cases, engagement has made NGOs that were once staunch campaigners too acquiescent. We applaud constructive collaboration, but a little bit of accountable confrontation would also be welcome.

We’re Hopeful
At the end of our discussion, we talked about what keeps us hopeful in the charge toward a more sustainable future. For some it is the next generation, for others it is the notion that with so much information at our fingertips, we are just plain smarter than we’ve ever been before. And, many pointed to bold, visible leaders: PepsiCo making products that are “good for you;” Unilever mobilizing one billion to take action to improve health and well-being; Starbucks trying to figure out just what to do with all those cups. These companies have used some of the levers we’ve identified above, and they haven’t been afraid to take bold steps to do so.

Everyone Needs to “Pull”
While we very much need these bold companies, we also need others to step up and help shape the future. Consider, as a metaphor, the nature of competitive biking. For an outsider, it looks like a solitary pursuit (go Lance!); but during the race, it is actually all about teamwork. Even when riders directly compete, they collaborate during the race because it’s too hard to go it alone. As the race unfolds, riders tend to move as a pack, with one person taking the lead. At different points, one leader will “pull,” while the rest of the group, the “peloton,” drafts off that rider, avoiding strong headwinds. When the “leader” gets tired, they switch off. It’s only at the tail-end of the race that any one rider sprints to the finish…and wins.

Most of us agree that the road to sustainability is a long one, a marathon, not a sprint. But, we will all be stronger, and finish faster, if we each take it upon ourselves to lead in some aspect of this race.