Leadership for sustainability: making sustainable development a reality for leaders: final research report

This report presents the findings of a joint research project into leadership for sustainability. One research strand was conducted by a team from the Education for Sustainability Programme at London South Bank University (LSBU) and the other by Forum for the Future. The research project aimed: to build understanding of catalysts and blocks to leadership for sustainability in the learning and skills sector; to test the inseparability of good leadership from leadership for sustainability; to inform the [Centre for Excellence in Leadership's] CEL's strategy for supporting the development of leadership for sustainability. Our findings are that most participating leaders understand why a more sustainable way of life is necessary and that the sector has a responsibility to help realise that way of life. Many, however, feel themselves on a steep learning curve. With reference to CEL's Leadership Qualities Framework (LQF), the research found that effective leaders demonstrated many of the key change management skills necessary for sustainability. Unsurprisingly, however, given the newness of the agenda for many leaders in the sector, there are some skills and knowledge in the LQF which need to be strengthened if sustainable development is to be embraced. A number of recommendations for CEL emerged from the research.

Excerpts from published executive summary.

This report presents the findings of a joint research project into leadership for sustainability. One research strand was conducted by a team from the Education for Sustainability Programme at London South Bank University (LSBU) and the other by Forum for the Future. The research project aimed: to build understanding of catalysts and blocks to leadership for sustainability in the learning and skills sector; to test the inseparability of good leadership from leadership for sustainability; to inform the [Centre for Excellence in Leadership's] CEL's strategy for supporting the ...  [+] Show more