Calling sustainability leaders: Ignite hope, drive action
11 February 2026 - In this blog, Marija Jurcevic, Programme Manager for CISL's Postgraduate Courses, reflects on interviews with five sustainability leaders at the cutting edge of leading change in their contexts - CISL Fellows and Senior Associates Pat Dwyer, Ian Ellison, Oliver Dudok van Heel, Beth Knight, and Brishni Mukhopadhyay - for their reflections on what it means to drive action for a more thriving world.
Is sustainability still “the strategic imperative of the new millennium? After decades of progress in regulation, business engagement, and public awareness, today’s sustainability landscape is challenged by political polarisation, anti-sustainability narratives, and shifting public sentiment. As Oliver Dudok van Heel puts it “wider economic conditions remain challenging, and sustainability continues to be a vast, complex, and often overwhelming task”. Within this complexity, leadership plays a critical role - one defined by the delicate balance: navigating uncertainty and fatigue while holding on to optimism. In this blog we examine six leadership dimensions that continue to put sustainability at the heart of decision making.
Aligning competitiveness and sustainability
A core challenge facing leaders today is the tension between sustainability’s long-term horizon and the short-term metrics that dominate business decision-making. Many leaders recognise sustainability’s importance yet feel constrained by systemic pressures. Ian Ellison argues for a mindset shift: understanding systemic interdependencies and material impacts across value chains so that sustainability moves from being an add‑on to becoming a driver of resilience and long‑term value. As he notes, “when competitiveness and sustainability are aligned, markets naturally reward sustainable practices”.
Leadership that holds the line
Beth Knight suggests that the current backlash against sustainability initiatives is revealing “who is really in this for the long haul”, distinguishing reputational engagement from structural commitment. This shift, she believes, is creating space for leaders who are genuinely focused on long-term, -system‑level change to step forward and work deliberately to reignite hope. Brishni Mukhopadhyay highlights that optimism sustains those working in sustainability “because everybody that comes in wants to make a difference”. This determination is not limited to those with formal authority; it is about taking responsibility and working collaboratively to create the conditions that enable collective progress.
Leading with purpose
After decades of environmental and social insight, the challenge is no longer knowledge but how we lead the transition. Pat Dwyer argues that leadership starts with purpose - “articulating the problem we are trying to solve or opportunity to seize, the distinct and primary role we play in addressing it and the unique impact we make”. Beth echoes this, sharing that clarity of vision and direction drives her most successful moments, as “those who believe in the vision will find you and come with you.” Clear direction, that responds to the evidence base, builds confidence and mobilises action.
Leading with inclusivity
Translating purpose and vision into solutions is inherently collective. It demands learning across cultures, sectors, and systems, yet Brishni warns against the “one-size‑fits‑all” mindset: “What may be sustainable in one context may be unacceptable in another.” Leadership means navigating these differences while moving toward shared goals, and, as Oliver describes, being open to “alternative voices” as a driver for innovation and progress. This strategy of inclusion is mirrored by Ian, who notes, “If you leave somebody out, they are likely to kill your project.” In a polarised political climate leaders must practise “extreme empathy”, using every tool to understand perspectives and motivations so dialogue “isn’t a battle.”
Leading with humanity
To succeed, the engagement process must remain deeply human. As Oliver observes: “Very often, we speak from this angry place, and make people feel bad about themselves. As a result, they immediately shut down, and don’t listen. When you open the door to humanity, and once you see the other person’s humanity, you then are able to find common ground.” This human dimension is becoming even more critical as AI becomes embedded in decision-making. Leaders must intentionally shape the boundary between human judgment and digital capability, which is explored further in this blog by Dr Louise Drake. Ian highlights that becoming “an architect of that boundary is what leadership’s going to be about” to ensure that humanity extends beyond technology to how we engage with one another.
Collective action
Leadership, as Beth Knights emphasises “is not naive optimism; it shows up in how targets are set, how products are designed, and who is invited into the room when critical trade‑offs are made.” Opportunities for influence are everywhere. “Everybody can be a change agent”, she says. Stepping up doesn’t guarantee success, but it guarantees movement and often inspires others to act; one person’s courage can motivate “a whole range of other people,” who may bring better ideas or more elegant solutions. Over time, these ripple effects compound into meaningful change. Through collective effort, we can turn turbulence into momentum for building inclusive, thriving futures.
These interviews highlight some core themes that reflect CISL’s Leadership Framework and form the framework for our education programmes:
- They demonstrate how the landscape for leaders is increasingly complex as geopolitical instability, AI and insecure value chains accelerate the need for innovation to build resilience and opportunities for organisations, economies, societies and the planet to thrive in every way.
- They demonstrate the need for ‘systems intelligence’, that understands critical interdependencies in decision-making, and considers trade-offs and choices in a more informed and holistic way a systems approach, considering the intended and unintended consequences that comes with all decision making.
- They highlight the need for human centred leadership, one that leans into rapid technological advances to unlock progress at a scale unrivalled by human endeavour but which also understands the role of leaders at all levels in creating the enabling conditions that turn innovation into progress.