Sustainable Leadership: How to Fulfill on the CSR Vision

Blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company
Aug 6, 2010 3:34 PM ET

Taiga Company Blog

Today’s business organizations are presented with the unique opportunity to increase profitability through greater eco awareness and the pursuit of a more sustainable business.   To gain and maintain a competitive advantage over the competition, sustainable business leaders are looking for ways to advance the CSR vision by aligning sustainable business strategies through shared values with employees.   However, there appears to be a disconnect between a corporate sustainability plan and how that vision filters down and is exercised in the day to day processes of an individual worker's life.  

Question:  How do you bridge that gap? Answer: Leadership.
 
According to Tony Schwartz's post, The CEO Is the Chief Energy Officer, "Above all else, a leader is the chief energy officer. The most fundamental job of a leader is to recruit, mobilize, inspire, focus, direct, and regularly refuel the energy of those they lead.  Energy, after all, is contagious — especially so if you're a leader, by virtue of your disproportionate position and power. The way you're feeling at any given moment profoundly influences how the people who work for you feel. How they're feeling, in turn, profoundly influences how well they perform. A leader's responsibility is not to do the work of those they lead, but rather to fuel them in every possible way to bring the best of themselves to their jobs every day." 
 
As a sustainability leader, it's imperative to communicate and demonstrate personal and corporate sustainability at all levels - including your energy, thoughts, expressions around eco awareness and business sustainability.  Emphasizing the importance of sustainability in business, community, and personal lives to employees expands well beyond the boundaries of the organization.  The impact can be profound.  Click here to continue reading.
 


Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".

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