Customer Reviews

Principled Leadership for Sustainability

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This is a beautiful, moving, gentle and yet distinctly challenging and practical book. It has the great gift of simplicity and humility of tone and language combined with solid and grounded wisdom. Whilst the central subject matter involves leadership practice and its relevance to global sustainability - in itself an enormous subject - the author is in fact telling us, with unambiguous clarity but with no sense of talking down to us or of preaching, how we each need to live if we want to save our world and make it a better place.

One of the many impressive aspects of the book is the way the deeply personal is linked, step by step, to local, organisational and ultimately global contexts. This makes the fate of our world inextricably linked to our individual awareness, intent and conduct. With humour and grace, the author leaves us in no doubt that she intends us to up our game and commit to beneficial action for ourselves and our communities.

The book models the principles of sustainability and leadership. It is sparing yet enough and complete: it links the personal with the political. It makes clear that good living and good leadership can only come from understanding ourselves at a deep level, and by making ethical commitments to improving the way we live and how we seek to help others. There are structured, practical exercises throughout that take us through the whole process of how we can move to make sustainability an intrinsic part of our daily lives, in accordance with a purposeful vision for ethical living.

The practical tone is entwined with food for the soul - the inclusion of numerous beautiful poems and moving stories ensures we are touched at a human level in ways that connect us with our inner selves and to the wider world.

Finally, we are left with a compelling call for action: we are challenged to walk the talk and do everything we say we ought to do, in all our deeds. At the very least we are persuaded to try, to make a beginning, no matter how daunted we may be and how doubtful we are of our own moral strength. We are reminded we need to pay attention and act now, because there is not a moment to lose.

This should be a standard text for all who bear the great responsibility and privilege of leadership.

Phil Hayes, Management Futures, England