Leadership is a universal phenomenon that has preoccupied scholars, politicians and others for centuries. In the management context leadership has been consistently identified as playing a critical role in the success or failure of organizations and some surveys have pegged almost half of an organization's performance on the quality and effectiveness of its leadership team. While all leaders should have a vision and desire to inspire their followers to take collective action to make it happen, sustainability leaders can be distinguished as people who inspire and support action to identify and develop innovative sustainable solutions, business models and practices that will lead to a better world. This book is intended to serve as a guide to the basic principles of sustainable leadership and what sustainable leaders need to know about the roles and activities expected from an effective leader; personality traits and attributes which can be learned and perfected by persons that aspire to leadership positions; and styles of leadership, which encompass the strategies used by leaders to engage with their followers. The book also provides an overview of the research and commentary on the theory and practice of sustainable leadership.
