Leadership for Sustainability

Osbert Lancaster @ Realise Earth

You’re a sustainability director, manager or pioneer who cares deeply about people and nature. At Realise Earth we are too, which is why we’ve been working on sustainability for over 20 years. On the Leadership for Sustainability podcast we focus on the “people side” of sustainability, helping you to: Get the best out of your sustainability team; Engage, influence and inspire senior management, colleagues and stakeholders; and Look after yourself and find ways forward when things get tough.. All so that you, your colleagues and your organisation can make greater progress on sustainability – progress that genuinely tackles the climate and nature crises. Listen every two weeks or so for rich insights and practical advice from our experienced team and our special guests – along with highlights from our roundtable discussions. read less
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Episodes

How do you develop a sustainability culture? That's the question that inspired the Most Sustainable Workplace Index.
May 3 2024
How do you develop a sustainability culture? That's the question that inspired the Most Sustainable Workplace Index.
At Realise Earth we’ve always been focused on helping sustainability leaders build support for, and catalyse action on, sustainability across their organisation.  A challenge is how to do this at scale.That’s why we’ve now partnered with the Most Sustainable Workplace Index which can help you do just that.I recently sat down with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Index, to hear his story. Listen to learn:Why Jaime believed the Index needed to existThe challenges Jaime faced and how he overcame themThe importance of seriously shifting the culture in organisations Whether or not the Index is relevant to you and your work, in itself this a fascinating story of sustainability leadership. You'll find contact details and other links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post here:https://realise.earth/how-do-you-develop-a-sustainability-culture/👉 Get the Leadership for Sustainability newsletterDon't miss new episodes or your invitation to our Leadership for Sustainability roundtables – including, only for email subscribers, our team's rich insights and carefully curated resources. Subscribe now… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth. Mentioned in this episode:👉 Unlock Employee Action on Sustainability with the Most Sustainable Workplace IndexJoin us for a webinar with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Most Sustainable Workplace Index, and learn how the Index helps you tap into and unlock most employees’ latent motivation to transform your sustainability initiatives – Wed 22 May.Read more & register
Better collaboration for better sustainability leadership. Here's how.
Feb 25 2024
Better collaboration for better sustainability leadership. Here's how.
Collaboration is essential to making greater progress on sustainability – within organisations and supply chains, across sectors – and across society globally. This is recognised by the UN Sustainable Development Goal 17 ‘Partnership for the Goals’, and Collaboration is one of the five dimensions identified by the Inner Development Goals as essential to achieving the SDGs.And the fifth call to action in our sustainability leadership manifesto for 2024 is “Seek out opportunities to collaborate and cooperate”.Identifying the need is one thing, doing something about it is another. To prepare for this episode I sat down with Morag and Rich, my Realise Earth co-founders, to discuss how we could draw on our collective experience to offer you some really useful guidance on collaboration.Here’s what we came up with:First I talk about what we mean by collaboration in the context of sustainability leadershipThen I get into the skills required for successful collaboration and the characteristics of effective teamsFinally I explore the nitty gritty of collaborating better, ending with specific actions you can start taking tomorrow – whatever your current experience.You'll find all the links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post: https://realise.earth/better-collaboration-for-better-sustainability-leadership-heres-how/ 👉 Get the Leadership for Sustainability newsletterDon't miss new episodes or your invitation to our Leadership for Sustainability roundtables – including, only for email subscribers, our team's rich insights and carefully curated resources. Subscribe now… Mentioned in this episode:👉 Unlock Employee Action on Sustainability with the Most Sustainable Workplace IndexJoin us for a webinar with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Most Sustainable Workplace Index, and learn how the Index helps you tap into and unlock most employees’ latent motivation to transform your sustainability initiatives – Wed 22 May.Read more & register
Roundtable: Discussing the sustainability leadership we need in 2024
Feb 8 2024
Roundtable: Discussing the sustainability leadership we need in 2024
What kind of approach to sustainability leadership do we need in 2024?In this Roundtable event, our guests reflect on their experience as sustainability leaders and give feedback on the draft sustainability leadership manifesto that Osbert talked about in the last episode.The topics discussed include:Deeply listening to understand people's needsEmbedding care in the sustainability agendaBuilding a culture of sustainability leadership across the organisationGetting beyond a carbon tunnel vision to a just transitionThe need to create collaborative spaces to drive forward positive change. Listen now for valuable insights, encouragement and hope. 👉 Get the Leadership for Sustainability newsletterDon't miss new episodes or your invitation to our Leadership for Sustainability roundtables – including, only for email subscribers, our team's rich insights and carefully curated resources. Subscribe now… 👉 Follow us on LinkedInConnect with Osbert Lancaster - drop me a message and let me know you listen to the podcast! – and follow Realise Earth. Mentioned in this episode:👉 Unlock Employee Action on Sustainability with the Most Sustainable Workplace IndexJoin us for a webinar with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Most Sustainable Workplace Index, and learn how the Index helps you tap into and unlock most employees’ latent motivation to transform your sustainability initiatives – Wed 22 May.Read more & register
A manifesto for sustainability leadership in 2024?
Jan 25 2024
A manifesto for sustainability leadership in 2024?
In the last year or so we’ve seen a slew of reports about the state of the environment showing that we’re close to, or perhaps have already gone beyond, the point of no return with climate change and several other planetary boundaries. It’s genuinely scary stuff, and it sometimes floors me.And yet, other reports show real progress and suggest that we’re in with a chance of tackling the climate and nature crises. We have the technology, but what’s holding us back is social and cultural change.I’m deeply worried by false and naive optimism, but I genuinely believe success is possible. But only if, as sustainability leaders, we adapt and evolve our approach.Here's what I cover in this episode:A review of the state of the climate and nature crisesWhy this means we need a new approach to sustainability leadershipNine things do we sustainability leaders need to do differently in 2024.If you're overwhelmed or confused by the conflicting signals about the climate and nature crises, or are simply looking for ways to make more progress on sustainability in these difficult times, we've got some practical suggestions for you.You'll find all the links mentioned in this episode in the companion blog post here…👉 Get the Leadership for Sustainability newsletterDon't miss new episodes or your invitation to our Leadership for Sustainability roundtables – including, only for email subscribers, our team's rich insights and carefully curated resources. Subscribe now… Mentioned in this episode:👉 Unlock Employee Action on Sustainability with the Most Sustainable Workplace IndexJoin us for a webinar with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Most Sustainable Workplace Index, and learn how the Index helps you tap into and unlock most employees’ latent motivation to transform your sustainability initiatives – Wed 22 May.Read more & register
Why every sustainability leader needs a theory of change - with Bob Gordon, Zero Carbon Forum
Sep 15 2023
Why every sustainability leader needs a theory of change - with Bob Gordon, Zero Carbon Forum
"You also need a theory of change. If you haven't understood what the big thing is you're trying to achieve, and you haven't understood how you are going to achieve that thing, then you have no theory of change and you're not going to achieve it."Bob Gordon told me that when he started out as Head of Sustainability with Nando’s in the UK he didn’t really have a theory of change. Bob’s now Director of Zero Carbon Forum, and has a very clear theory of change to support the hospitality sector to reduce, and then eliminate, their carbon footprinIn this interview Bob shares some of his story on that journey, and offers some really solid advice for sustainability directors and  managers who want to get results and make a real difference, even at a time when businesses are facing acute commercial pressures.Read the full show notes with links to resources at http://realise.earth/118👉 Get the Leadership for Sustainability newsletterDon't miss new episodes or your invitation to our Leadership for Sustainability roundtables – including, only for email subscribers, our team's rich insights and carefully curated resources. Subscribe now… Mentioned in this episode:👉 Unlock Employee Action on Sustainability with the Most Sustainable Workplace IndexJoin us for a webinar with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Most Sustainable Workplace Index, and learn how the Index helps you tap into and unlock most employees’ latent motivation to transform your sustainability initiatives – Wed 22 May.Read more & register
How to facilitate a workshop: A case story for sustainability managers
Aug 18 2023
How to facilitate a workshop: A case story for sustainability managers
Run a workshop that encourages colleagues and stakeholders to be actively involved in your sustainability initiative.How to plan and facilitate a workshop that builds collaborationWhat are good activities? How to get people engaged?Some top tips inspired by our workshop for the Coalition for Wind Industry CircularityWe recently facilitated a workshop for the Coalition for Wind Industry Circularity. Afterwards a number of participants and asked for advice about the exercises we used and how to design and facilitate something similar.We decided to answer those requests by recording this episode as a 'case story' to share not just the particular activities we used, but also some of the principles behind them, and the thought process that informed our plans.👉 Get the Leadership for Sustainability newsletterDon't miss new episodes or your invitation to our Leadership for Sustainability roundtables – including, only for email subscribers, our team's rich insights and carefully curated resources. Subscribe now… Full guide and show notes at https://realise.earth/116Mentioned in this episode:👉 Unlock Employee Action on Sustainability with the Most Sustainable Workplace IndexJoin us for a webinar with Jaime Blakeley-Glover, creator of the Most Sustainable Workplace Index, and learn how the Index helps you tap into and unlock most employees’ latent motivation to transform your sustainability initiatives – Wed 22 May.Read more & register