January 14, 2025
Creating a Sustainable Culture: How CEOs Can Promote a Sustainable Culture
One of the most important things a CEO can do to support sustainability is to shape an inclusive organizational culture that encourages innovation and learning. Whereas CEOs of the past tended to lead by directive, cascading information and orders down through the organization, sustainable leadership calls for a more empowering and consultative approach, using personal authority sparingly and modeling inclusive behaviors.
For many CEOs, this is not an easy transition. Those who have found success in working the levers of power and influence tend to be competitive rather than collaborative, are oriented to dominance and winning, and put their goals and interests first. Leaders who come to the role because of their technical or functional expertise are usually not inclined to defer to others’ judgments and underestimate the importance of appealing to emotions rather than logic when trying to persuade others.
Despite these challenges, any leader committed to sustainability can still support a sustainable culture without “changing their spots.” Here’s our advice:
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Use newsletters, webinars, virtual town hall meetings and other company-wide media to remind everyone of the importance of the organization’s sustainability initiatives. Communicate progress against sustainability goals regularly and be transparent about the challenges of meeting those goals.
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Meet with employees face to face in the plants, stores, warehouses and wherever else they work, and bring your leadership team along. Explain the reasons for and the value of the sustainability journey and engage employees in open dialogue.
- Sponsor employee resource groups (ERGs) where employees can share ideas for advancing sustainability. Participation in ERGs can increase employee engagement by making them feel valued and understood, especially if good suggestions are recognized and rewarded.
- Encourage employees at all levels to suggest and try new working methods to save time and money and reduce waste. Celebrate successful innovations to highlight the importance of these efforts and encourage those who were not initially successful to learn from their experiences and keep trying.
- Champion policies that reduce your organization's carbon footprint. Consider where remote or hybrid work could reduce commuting time, advocate using sustainable materials and supplies, and support employee training on everyday sustainable practices.
- Set a personal example. This could include adopting green practices in your office space, eliminating unnecessary business travel and participating in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
- Take your story on the road. Become a visible spokesperson for your sustainability efforts, using public platforms, social media and speaking opportunities to advocate for sustainability — especially if your industry is not known for sustainable practices.
To close this series on creating a culture of sustainability, let’s return to some of our earlier points to set the stage for moving your organization’s culture in a sustainable direction:
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Return to your organization’s purpose. Revisit your organization’s core mission, what makes it distinctive, who it serves and how it impacts people's well-being as a reminder of its role in the world.
- Connect sustainability to purpose. Relentlessly communicate how sustainability amplifies your organization’s purpose, ensures its long-term viability and contributes to the lives of future generations.
- Link sustainability to your values. Ensure that the core elements of a sustainability culture — inclusion, empowerment, innovation and learning — are aligned with and reinforced by core values such as integrity, teamwork, accountability and respect.