Episode 23

Sustainability leadership and collaboration - a how to guide

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 leadership
  • Then I get into the skills required for successful collaboration and the characteristics of effective teams
  • Finally 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/sustainability-leadership-and-collaboration-a-how-to-guide/

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What if we saw our purpose as helping create the conditions for people and the rest of nature to thrive – whatever happens? Read about Thrivable Field Notes…

Mentioned in this episode:

Upcoming events

Leadership for Susainability Online Meet Up 22 May 2025 Leadership for Sustainability Netwalks, Edinburgh, various dates Your Wild Nature 3 Day Women’s Retreat, Scotland, 30 May – 02 Jun 2025.

Events for sustainability leaders

About the Podcast

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Leadership for Sustainability
Helping sustainability directors, managers & pioneers make change happen.

About your host

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Osbert Lancaster

Facilitator, consultant and trainer. 20+ years of helping leaders and managers of organisations large and small deliver change for people and nature. Led the development of the University of Edinburgh’s pioneering sustainability strategy. Co-created a UNESCO recognised leadership programme. Aspiring improv performer. Facilitation mantra: Talk less, listen more.