๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐' ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐ฌ๐ ๐๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ
- Anonymous
- Oct 2
- 2 min read

After meeting with executives from corporations in the S&P 500 and NGOs, and moderating and speaking at many events at NYC Climate Week with more than 2 decades of leadership experience in the sector leading many global initiatives from behind-the-scenes, here are my observations:
๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ข๐: All that matters is making the business case and ROI which change agents lack the fundamental ability to communicate.
๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฐ๐: Leaders want to act and "do sustainability". They do not need morale persuasion. They want step-by-step action plan, e.g., if we do ABC, we clean up this waterway, which results in this ROI.ย
๐ง๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Leaders do not want to "talk, they want to act". Leaders are immune to shame-and-blame. They are tired of talking.
๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐น๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐: Leaders are confused. They do not understand the scientific differences between ESG metrics, scores, ranking and pillars; SDG goals, targets, and indicators; and climate transition risk and opportunities metrics.ย
๐๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Everyone wants to tell each other what to do as we address complex systems' change, yet the operating principles of humility, listening, learning, gratitude, collaboration, and curiosity are not understood as core drivers of success.ย
๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: Many organizations are missing institutional memory. Most ideas have been tried before. But most lack this knowledge. Old is new again.
๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐: Leaders need to invest in the change they want as innovation driven by failure and success will transition our economy to a net-positive economy.
I left more hopeful than I expected, yet am also struck by organizations wanting to deploy 19th century linear thinking to solve 21st century systemic complex problems.









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