Earth Day 54: Confronting Unsustainable Leadership

Author: Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Founder + CEO

This Earth Day marks the 54th anniversary of a movement ignited by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who saw a dire need for environmental protection at a time when many businesses operated with unchecked environmental recklessness.

On April 22, 1970, amidst a backdrop where toxic gases filled the air and rivers turned into industrial dumps (no joke…this really was the case back then), Earth Day was born—not as a celebration but as a stark reminder of the consequences of inaction. It was Senator Nelson’s courageous leadership that unearthed American citizen’s activism and ultimately led to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency in December 1970, forever changing the way American businesses interact with the environment.

Yet, more than half a century later, the battle for a sustainable future for our children continues in boardrooms and business strategies, hindered often by leadership at all levels of a company, whether it’s the CEO, a board member, a business unit leader who only focuses on short-term P&Ls, a front-line operations leader, or a sales leader. All leaders must invest in the change process for a company to actualize environmental sustainability.

I often tell my clients that, “Companies are not set up to succeed in sustainability and ESG.” Even if a CEO and executive team have expressed the leadership intent to embrace sustainability, getting that intent out the door is nearly impossible. Leaders must continue to demonstrate courage in the face of the internal naysayers and the leaders across the business units and functions who do not want to see things change or make the effort required to change.  

Through the years in the corporate world and working with clients, I’ve identified all sorts of leadership personas that are constructive in driving change and many that are destructive. It’s the destructive leaders that stall progress on making a company more environmentally competent.

At DevryBV Sustainable Strategies, we recognize that internal leadership personas significantly influence the adoption and execution of ESG strategies. Understanding these personas can reveal why progress is still painfully slow in many sectors.

Here, we dissect a few of these leadership personas. Pay close attention to the last two, which are most detrimental to progress:

The Pacesetter/Disruptor. “We must do this because…” Visionaries who understand the urgent need for change and push their organizations toward groundbreaking practices.

The Fast Adopter. “That is a good idea. I’m in. Let me know how I can help.” These leaders quickly recognize good ideas and support innovative changes, helping to build momentum.

The Corporate Tag-along.  “Ok, if that’s what the leadership wants to do…” They follow the lead cautiously, often moved by trends rather than conviction. Their support is necessary but not sufficient for transformative change.

The Healthy Skeptic. “Before we do this, let’s get the data and the facts to support it, but, yes, all signs are a go!” They insist on data before decision-making, ensuring that new initiatives are both effective and substantiated.

The Unhealthy Skeptic. “This is a waste of time. None of this matters to the business.” Openly resistant to change, they see little value in updating practices or pursuing sustainability. Their pessimism can stifle innovation and deter meaningful dialogue on ESG matters. Unfortunately, these leaders are in powerful positions to change harmful practices.

The Ostrich. “I’m not getting involved. Leave me alone. It’s not my problem. I have a business to run.” Completely disengaged, they avoid involvement in sustainability, viewing it as irrelevant to their core business operations. This avoidance is perhaps the most perilous stance, as it ignores the critical nature of sustainable practices in today's business environment.

To the Unhealthy Skeptics and the Ostriches: Often the company spends a great deal of unnecessary resources and unfortunately wastes precious time working to convince you of the need to change. In some instances, resistance by influential corporate leaders sets a company back by years.  If you see yourself as a blocker to advancing sustainability, how might you become part of the solution instead? What valuable ideas do you have to contribute to the effort? What is holding you back from jumping in with gusto?

Sometimes resistance can be as simple as having a fear of change. Another reason could be that the company is asking a lot of you in addition to your current role, which is why Pacesetters need to acknowledge the additional pressures being placed on their teammates and seek constructive ways to lighten the load and incentivize the change. Also, perhaps the company has not allocated adequate resources to the effort, and what is being asked of you is unrealistic.

The blockers in the corporate sustainability ecosystem need to confront for themselves the reason for their unsustainable leadership persona. By doing so, you can personally move to a more constructive place on driving a sustainable leadership agenda.

At DevryBV, we come from a place of openness, truth, and non-judgment. Using our proprietary Integrated Sustainability Framework®, we help all leadership personas within an organization process the change that is happening to and within the company. We often recommend that the leaders read The Practice of Adaptive Leadership by Heitz, Grashow, and Linsky. A valuable lesson we share with our clients from the book is: “New environments and new dreams demand new strategies and abilities, as well as the leadership to mobilize them.”  

On Earth Day 54, it's time to reconsider your roles and the impact of your leadership style. The unwillingness to engage with and adapt to sustainable practices not only undermines corporate responsibility and places the company at increased risk, but your actions also place your business at a competitive disadvantage. The legacy of Earth Day should serve as a call to action for all business leaders. The risks of environmental negligence and social disregard are too significant to be sidelined by outdated thinking.

This Earth Day, let us reflect on Senator Nelson's resolve to confront environmental issues head-on, creating foundational changes that spurred global movements. Just as in 1970, today's leaders face a choice: to act with courage and foresight or to remain indifferent at the peril of our planet and future generations.

As leaders in business, you wield significant influence over not only your organizations but also the broader ecosystem. Let this Earth Day be a turning point where we challenge ourselves to identify with the right personas—those that drive change, not hinder it. Emulate the courage of many of today’s most active business leaders driving nature-positive practices and transform your personal approach to leadership to better align with sustainable practices.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Call us. We are in the business of inspiring leaders to courageously serve humanity.

The time for decisive action is now. Do not let history remember you as the ones who could have acted but chose to stand back. Lead with courage, and lead with urgency.