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Global Leadership for Sustainability

Author

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  • Louis W. Fry

    (Department of Management, Texas A&M University-Central Texas, 1001 Leadership Place, Killeen, TX 76549, USA)

  • Eleftheria Egel

    (Navigating Transformation, Female Entrepreneurship Consultancy, 79379 Muellheim, Germany)

Abstract

Given the social and environmental challenges facing all organizations, there is a need for new leadership models, methods, and tools for implementing organizational change for sustainable development. Toward that end, we review current approaches to leadership for sustainability in terms of their conceptual frameworks and extant research, which all advocate a balanced stakeholder approach to leadership to address the social and environmental issues related to sustainability and sustainable development. Then, drawing from spiritual and being-centered leadership theories, we offer a model of Global Leadership for Sustainability (GLfS) that incorporates and extends the conceptual domain beyond current approaches to leadership for sustainability. In doing so we propose that spirituality, through the qualities of self-transcendence and interconnectedness, is critical for sustainability and is foundational for GLfS. We also emphasize the importance of cultivating a Global Mindset for Sustainability, which incorporates two ethical principles—an ethic of remote moral responsibility and an ethic of care and compassion. As a result, global leaders for sustainability become more committed to moving beyond satisfying stakeholders’ demands for economic returns, toward a more sustainable, triple bottom line, balanced approach. Finally, we discuss implications for theory, research, and practice of GLfS.

Suggested Citation

  • Louis W. Fry & Eleftheria Egel, 2021. "Global Leadership for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-25, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:6360-:d:568397
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    2. Jing Han & Weilin Zhu & Chaofan Chen, 2023. "Identifying Emissions Reduction Opportunities in International Bilateral Emissions Trading Systems to Achieve China’s Energy Sector NDCs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-24, January.
    3. Samra Maqbool & Hafiz Muhammad Ihsan Zafeer & Pingfei Zeng & Sufyan Maqbool & Zineb Draissi & Saima Javed, 2024. "Inventive leadership styles and their impact for achieving sustainable development goals in education at secondary schools: a case study from Multan, Pakistan," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Aymen Sajjad & Gabriel Eweje & Muhammad Mustafa Raziq, 2024. "Sustainability leadership: An integrative review and conceptual synthesis," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 2849-2867, May.
    5. Louis W. Fry & Mai Chi Vu, 2024. "Leading Without a Self: Implications of Buddhist Practices for Pseudo-spiritual Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(1), pages 41-57, February.
    6. Tatjana Janovac & Goran Djokovic & Aleksandra Pusara & Viktorija Misic & Ksenija Milankovic & Aleksandra Pavicevic & Adrijana Vukovic & Sasa Virijevic Jovanovic, 2023. "Assessment and Ranking of the Behavioural Leadership Model in the Process of Implementing Reforms in Public Sector of the Republic of Serbia Using the PIPRECIA Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, June.
    7. Anna Lewandowska & Zia Ullah & Fatima Saleh AlDhaen & Esra AlDhaen & Alina Yakymchuk, 2023. "Enhancing Organizational Social Sustainability: Exploring the Effect of Sustainable Leadership and the Moderating Role of Micro-Level CSR," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Jane Boeske & Peter A. Murray, 2022. "The Intellectual Domains of Sustainability Leadership in SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-19, February.
    9. John Devlin & Keri Hopeward & James Hopeward & Christopher Saint, 2023. "Leading the Circular Future: South Australia’s Potential Influence on Circular Economy Development in Asia-Pacific Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-13, September.

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