Empowering leaders to tackle the issue of our time

Leaders have guided organisations through transformation for hundreds of years – from the industrial revolutions of steam power through to digitisation. The issue of climate has similar features to challenges we have previously faced in to – in terms of urgency, economic pressures and diverse stakeholder groups. However, it is also unique – with a complex ecosystem of actors, talent scarcity, large-scale capital redirection, and at times competing demands. As the window for ambition to translate into action narrows, we must ask ourselves: are the tools we have previously used to lead the right ones for the climate challenge?

This report presents a new model for leadership. This model challenges leaders to lead across five levels: economy, ecosystem, organisation, team and individual. As climate change is fundamentally reshaping our environment, economy, society, government, technology and workforce it’s no longer enough to lead at just one or two levels. Coordinated leadership is required to deliver ‘needle-moving action’ that unifies internal leadership of the workforce and organisation, with that of the external environment. The report includes case studies that bring to life how organisations are leading into the age of climate, along with next steps leaders can take.

A Five-Level Leadership Model for the Age of Climate

In 50 years’, much will be written about the way in which leaders faced into, successfully or unsuccessfully, the climate challenge. Together, we have an opportunity to be remembered as the generation of leaders who successfully lead into a better future.