Neela Bettridge, executive coach and co-founder of Article 13, discusses CEOs in the new future and their increasingly important role as leaders and innovators in the ‘new normal’.
The article describes that traditionally the key attributes of CEOs were not only their ambition, drive and obvious flair for business, but their focus on returns for shareholders and bottom line success. However, Neela notes that the economic crisis and new business environment that has been emerging for the past decade, now increasingly demands, and is finding success in, CEOs who are going beyond compliance of government environmental and social regulation. Rather, these leaders are using innovative social, ethical and environmental practices as part of their business model, and finding that the results are not only morally justified but actually providing high economic gains.
Neela views the CEOs of the future as leaders who see today’s environmental and social pressures as opportunities to innovate and seek new markets. They don’t just use sustainability as a buzz word in the annual report, or even as a ‘nice to have’, but rather sustainability issues are embedded in the company as a core business ethic which requires decision making processes to think long term and bearing in mind that we are operating relationships with the world around us and not exclusive to it.
Neela concludes by emphasising the power of effective leadership, and stresses that coming out of this economic crisis we need to look for leaders who have personal commitments to sustainable business and who are able to look beyond regulation and use current environmental and social pressures for opportunity. This commitment needs to be nurtured and coached and given as much, if not more, time and effort as for example technical expertise.
The full article is available in the August-September 2009 edition of CEO Europe (see page 46).
For more information on this subject, please contact Neela Bettridge or phone 020 8840 4450.
Neela Bettridge is an executive coach and mentor, as well as a highly skilled practitioner in the field of organisational sustainability and governance. Learn more at www.article13.com.Article 13 are experts in business responsibility, typically in the areas of corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and governance. Article 13 seeks to embed and integrate responsible business practices in organisations by means of consultancy services, training, executive coaching and thought leadership.
A recent research report by Article 13 looks at the impact on governance of recent developments. It is entitled “Sustainability Inside-Out: Investigating coaching’s role in sustainability”.
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ISO 9001:2000 accredited
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