By: Jose Luis Caceres
As a member of the Certification Advisory Committee for Eco-Canada I was inquired on the definition of Leadership in the context of the Environmental Profession. Though different opinions aroused in the panel, most of them converged and aligned pretty closely. This brief article expresses my opinion on the topic in question.
As organizations continually evolve, the environmental sector continues to get increasingly integrated in every industry and this in turn, creates the necessity for individuals to become contextually intelligent and capable to confront the multiple facets and challenges that exists and surrounds the environmental arena.
Leadership can be defined as a skill, a quality or an attribute. Environmental professionals have the inherit function of safeguarding the integrity of the environment. Doing so in the reality of the many environmental issues that exists in todays society, entails the ability to lead.
Though the scope of action of the environmental professional is very wide and ranges from the utterly scientific to the social and economical aspects, one thing is prevalent and that is that true environmental professionals must demonstrate leadership capacity, regardless if they are working in a leadership position or not.
“Leadership is about professionals seeking new levels of organizational capability and personal talent. A leader possesses multi-dimensional, inter- organisational thinking.” -Eco Canada-
Below are some of the answers I provided to the questionnaire on Leadership in the Environmental Profession:
What does it mean to be a great environmental and sustainability leader?
Leaders are those who connect with the people – the public and guide them to the understanding and acknowledgement that a prosperous future, depends on acting together in environmental due-diligence and sustainable development of our natural resources.
Outside of acting ethically, what are top 3 leadership qualities required to be an environmental professional?
· Understanding global affairs, mainly in matters related to energy, the environment and sustainable development, as well as the basic science behind topics such as pollution and climate change, including their social implications.
· Have the capacity to teach, advocate and lead by example.
· Have an honest interest for the well-being of the people and the future generations.
How are these qualities demonstrated in environmental work?
One can not possibly lead in the environmental arena without having a solid knowledge and understanding of it, first in its wide context and also, in the job-site context, in relation to specific work. Education, awareness and a continuous learning process not only stimulates and helps grow the confidence of the leader but it is necessary in order to guide others.
Example: Disseminating ideas in the context of climate change, through articles, speeches, etc. If there is no real and legitimate science backing-up what the ‘leader’ is transmitting, the whole leadership role ends-up being a fiasco. Leadership implies that the leader needs to be well aware and understands (in this case) the science of climate change.
Is leadership capacity inherent to an individual, or something that can be taught?
In many cases, the leadership attitude is inherent to people’s personalities. It also occurs and evolves as a part of a process and it is acquired through socialization, education and training and is often driven by concerns and strong convictions.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” -John C. Maxwell
