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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Transformational leadership

21st Century leadership - how can leaders develop a sustainable business in 2024?

We need leadership with the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity. To establish the right conditions for individuals, teams, and organisations to take accountability and innovate to create value through sustainable solutions. To deliver for the long-term whilst producing the returns required in the short term.   

Leadership needs to understand what actions are most critical to deliver a sustainable future (CISL’s Rewiring the Economy and Business Transformation Framework cover key areas). Leadership also needs to embrace the inner capabilities and capacity required to influence and progress these actions individually and collectively across systems. Our work shows that some leading organisations are successfully rethinking their leadership development strategy to meet this changing context, but many organisations are yet to recognise the scale of change required for long-term business success

Organisations need a new form of leadership development which helps them to reframe their values and purpose, strategy and culture – enabling them to innovate and change their fundamental approach to value creation.

 

CISL Insights for Leaders


 

Leadership for a sustainable future Framework

CISL have developed a framework that embraces the ultimate purpose of leadership - to deliver a sustainable future, with business/organisational success being an essential means to deliver this goal.

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CISL’s Business Transformation Framework

This practical diagnostic tool sets out 12 key enablers presented onto four organisational typologies, distinguished by different levels of alignment to sustainability and purpose, against which businesses can self-assess.

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Future of Boards Research Phase 1

The Future of Boards research has identified key trends influencing board practice, provides practical, evidence-based, internationally relevant insights and recommendations. They are designed to support boards and the business they lead to strategically navigate the multiplying risks and opportunities and respond appropriately.

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How we work with you


Developing the right leadership skills and capabilities across an organisation is not easy, but a growing body of work indicates that organisations that cultivate learning and innovation to develop these capabilities are better able to anticipate and mitigate risk and enhance productivity. More importantly, they are better able to shape their own futures and seize the opportunities inherent in aligning their activities with society’s needs and priorities. 

Our leadership programmes work with organisations and individuals to allow them to thrive in the changing business context and to support them to develop the leadership that we need to transform our economies and deliver benefits to people, and protect our nature and climate. You can find more about CISL's position on leadership here.

 

Leadership capabilities for the 21st Century

The leadership lab taking place in October 2024 is a chance for
you to explore leadership within and beyond your organisation to develop the mindsets and practices for a sustainable future.  

 Find out more

 

Open application programmes for leaders 

We build the leadership capacity of individuals and organisations across disciplines to catalyse and accelerate change to deliver value within and beyond their own context. 

Find out more about our courses

 
  

Executive coaching to support you to deliver impact

Our team of executive coaches are experienced to support you as you lead change to transition and transform your board, your leadership, your team or your organisation. 

Submit an enquiry

 

Research

We invite you to engage with us to stress test the leadership framework in your organisation as part of our research.   

Find out how to engage

 

Transforming organisations 

We challenge and support organisations to raise ambition and address the challenges and opportunities of sustainability.

Customise leadership and strategy programmes

Accelerating solutions

We foster new enterprises, business models, technologies, products and services that promote a sustainable future.

Innovation for small businesses

 

 

Short online courses in leadership


Leading Sustainability: High Impact Leadership

For professionals seeking to build skills in values driven, high impact leadership.

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Communicating for Influence and Impact

For professionals seeking to build the communication skills to achieve meaningful change.

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Women Leading Change: Shaping
Our Future

For current and aspiring leaders who are ready to lead change in organisations and society through systemic transformation.

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Watch a recording of the Women Leading Change webinar

 

 

Alumni stories


 

"With the credentials of CISL, this could well be the most successfully designed programme in the world that delivers sustainability to business management in a nutshell."

Lu-Ann Ong, Singapore Co-founder and Managing Partner, Independent Consultants 1920 LLP

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"The course gave me a firm foundation on sustainability, equipped me with up-to-date trends on how it is practised across the globe, and gave me the chance to meet passionate practitioners of sustainability and be inspired by the work they do."

Harris Albert Guevarra, Philippines President and CEO, Drink

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Resources and research


Read more at: The road to Entopia
Entopia hoarding

The road to Entopia

30 September 2021 - Dame Polly Courtice, Emeritus Founder Director of the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership and Clare Shine, current Director and CEO reflect on CISL’s journey so far, and what the future holds as we move to our innovative new HQ, Entopia.


Read more at: Q&A with CISL Director and CEO, Clare Shine
Clare Shine

Q&A with CISL Director and CEO, Clare Shine

July 2021 - After three months as Director and CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Clare Shine shares her thoughts on what's next for the sustainability agenda, and the need for a collective focus on people, nature and climate.


Read more at: Why the transition to net zero is business's business
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Why the transition to net zero is business's business

9 April 2021 - CISL Course Convenor Dimitri Zenghelis unpacks the three major climate change-related risks affecting organisations and illustrates the significant opportunities that will be gained from transitioning to a net zero carbon business model.


Read more at: At times of profound crisis, the words we choose matter more than ever
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At times of profound crisis, the words we choose matter more than ever

19 January 2021 – CISL Fellow and Head Tutor Zoë Arden considers how we can continue to build our capability to communicate truth and lead with courage.


Read more at: Accelerating the transition to a sustainable economy in a post-Covid world: what has changed, what have we learned, and what can business do now?

Accelerating the transition to a sustainable economy in a post-Covid world: what has changed, what have we learned, and what can business do now?

December 2020 – The landscape of business has been radically transformed. Discussions about business action on sustainability are now taking place against a Covid-shaped backdrop of geopolitical and economic shifts, growing – and increasingly visible – inequality, heightened awareness of systemic flaws and human vulnerability, and societal fractures and polarisation. In addition, many businesses are operating in regions with high levels of government, corporate and private debt and growing levels of unemployment.


Read more at: The shifting expectations of business: aligning strategy, business model and culture with a sustainable purpose
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The shifting expectations of business: aligning strategy, business model and culture with a sustainable purpose

November 2020 – As businesses look to transition from ‘rescue’ to ‘recovery’ now is a good time to clarify their role in delivering a resilient, low carbon, and fundamentally sustainable economy, says CISL's Director of Business Strategy Ben Kellard. How can organisations ensure that they have aligned their purpose and strategy with the transition ahead?


Read more at: Leading with a sustainable purpose: Leaders’ insights for the development, alignment and integration of a sustainable corporate purpose

Leading with a sustainable purpose: Leaders’ insights for the development, alignment and integration of a sustainable corporate purpose

November 2020 – This report from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) distils shared insights into how four leading multinational companies developed, aligned and integrated a purpose and strategy to transition to a sustainable economy.


Read more at: Bakkafrost - Navigating choppy waters: working with nature to produce sustainable salmon

Bakkafrost - Navigating choppy waters: working with nature to produce sustainable salmon

This interview was conducted by CISL’s Director of Strategy Programmes, Paul Begley, with Bakkafrost’s Chief Executive Officer, Regin Jacobsen and the Group Sustainability Lead, Ana Holden-Peters. Each year, Bakkafrost produces c.57,000 tonnes of gutted salmon, making it one of the world’s largest...


Read more at: Exploring the multiple contributions of the arts and humanities to leadership

Exploring the multiple contributions of the arts and humanities to leadership

October 2020 – This working paper summarises three emerging narratives about the distinctive contribution of the arts and humanities to leadership.


Read more at: The future we want requires leaders who can communicate for influence and impact
Meeting

The future we want requires leaders who can communicate for influence and impact

6 May 2020 – Zoë Arden, CISL Fellow and Course Convenor on the new Communicating for Influence and Impact online short course, discusses the need for leaders who listen first, show humility and use communication to influence and accelerate social and environmental change.


Advisory Services 

Find out how we help organisations build long-term resilience, gain competitive advantage and identify new opportunities
for value creation aligned with a transition to a sustainable economy.

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The Future of Boards

Find out how we are working with boards to build transformational leadership.

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