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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Are you looking for flexible online sustainability courses for yourself or your organisation?

In a fast-changing world with growing social and environmental challenges, technical innovation and business model innovation, successful companies are recognising that business as usual is no longer enough.

There is recognition that in order to thrive in the new global economy companies need to do more than adapt to their changing context. They need to shape and lead this change.

 

The business case


As well as growing public expectation for business to step up and take responsibility for the future of society and the environment, there is also a strong commercial case for doing so. Figures show the market capitalisation of companies with a long-term approach grew $7 billion more than other companies between 2001 and 2014. Companies that succeed in this context also have the advantage of recruiting and retaining staff, leading to superior staff motivation and performance. But even the most progressive companies who understand what they need to do to succeed are not systematically equipping their people to lead effectively in this changing context, according to recent research carried out by CISL.

Find out more about the current leadership development gap facing companies today.

 

What you need to do


Learning and development and HR teams are crucial in cultivating the leaders their companies need to succeed in the new global economy. Through recruiting, training and incentivising individuals to succeed in this context they can help to deliver the change needed, not only for their company’s long-term commercial success but also for a sustainable economy that benefits all.

Read our report on how to develop the leadership we need to deliver value for business, society and the environment.


Here are three ways for you to develop leadership for long-term business success.

People

Align and collaborate with your sustainability teams, who will often have deep and broad insight into the changing context and stakeholder expectations of business performance. Contact us to find out about the commercial value of sustainability for your company. 

Support current and future leaders across your organisation to develop the skills to nurture innovation, manage risk, and influence the contexts and systems within which they operate. Our executive and graduate education programmes help build the leadership your company needs to thrive in the future. 

 

Support your Board members in building understanding of the new context, evolving stakeholder expectation of business purpose and performance, and implications for your organisation. Let us help your Board lead the way towards a sustainable and prosperous future for your company. 

 Find out what our clients say about how we are developing leadership for the future.

 

Our leadership model


Informed by our work with over 9,000 leaders internationally over nearly three decades, the Cambridge Impact Leadership Model describes the leadership we need to deliver value for business, society and the environment.

It is leadership that is:

  • guided by a purpose to align business success with the delivery of positive social and environmental outcomes
  • built on thinking, values and practice to deliver against this purpose
  • reflective and adaptive so leaders hold themselves to account to deliver the results required.

Find out how our leadership model can help your business lead and shape change.