I believe our company’s mission led me to be the main speaker at this year’s first MQ training event organized by the Managers Association of Slovenia. The main topic of the event will be sustainable leadership.How to act sustainably so that sustainability is not just another buzzword? In my opinion, the world and people will never be the same again after this pandemic. This is why sustainability is a must, and it must become part of us all. More than ever before, we should be aware of how we live on our planet and how we contribute to our personal lives and our companies to act locally and globally to preserve the world and pass it on to our children as our parents once did us.
So why did I say buzzword? Just considering our beloved Slovenia, I can't get rid of the feeling that many companies are saying – “we are sustainable, we are going to do that” merely as a way to jump on the popular train of sustainability. But when you go deeper, you don't see any KPI's showing improvements in sustainability. You don't see how the company is actually changing its overall way of operating and social impacting. Furthermore, their products are not reflecting the wind of change.
I would advise all managers, CEO's and owners against this, because people are changing. This also means that their expectations as customers are changing. If you won’t lead with example, it means you didn't buy the proper ticket to be on the train of sustainability, and you will miss it. Saying “I'm sustainable” is not enough, you must really commit to it and show it with proper facts and results.
And finally, what does sustainable leadership mean? All of us must know when we have reached our final mission and vision, no matter which position or in which company. “World is changing” is another buzzword, but it’s also very accurate. As leaders, we must always be improving and trying to keep up with the fast pace and constant changes. We must aspire to be the best, but when that moment comes, when you feel in your heart that it's time to step down, do it. Use this opportunity to share your mission and vision with the younger generation. Become a mentor to the new generation of leaders. There is always a place for wisdom and senior experience.
Take care; I will see you at this year’s first MQ training.
