Sustainability Leadership tests common assumptions about who counts as a leader and proposes that anyone who takes responsibility for understanding and acting on sustainability challenges qualifies as a 'sustainability leader,' whether or not they hold formal leadership positions. They lead 'with' rather than 'over' others in ways that account for the long-term viability of complex, interconnected living systems. Paradox, contradiction, and differing viewpoints are recognized as natural characteristics of healthy systems. Sustainability leaders recognize that the experience of change itself, and the dissonance it creates, fuels new thinking, discoveries, and innovations that can revitalize the health of organizations, communities, and the earth. Finding the balance among and between simultaneous and sometimes contradictory demands for economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable solutions is a compelling leadership opportunity ultimately grounded in a personal ethic that reaches beyond self-interest.
