Sustainability Leadership Development from Coursera

How organizations and society respond to declines in environmental and social capital is the defining issue of our times. “Sustainability Leadership” explores and analyzes the concepts and application of leadership to empower you to be a positive change agent during this critical time.

This course prepares current and future sustainability professionals to tackle “wicked problems” — challenges that are difficult to solve due to incomplete, contradictory, or changing information and that stem from simultaneously addressing environmental and interrelated social and economic issues. This requires a rethinking of how people and organizations exert leadership. Each module will explore how power structures, social justice, and equity impact organizations and how leaders can utilize ethics and values to set and achieve goals. You'll learn to apply sustainability leadership to real-world situations through lectures, conversations with key leaders, case studies, self-assessments, readings, videos, and podcasts. By the end of the course, you’ll draft a personalized action plan that can help begin or advance your career in sustainability and provide a sound basis to start transforming your organization for good.

This is the third course in “Green Skills for a Sustainable and Just Future," a course series dedicated to shaping the next generation of sustainable practices and leadership.

What's inside

Syllabus

Sustainability Leadership as 21st Century Leadership

How does leadership for sustainability differ from traditional leadership? What do the unique attributes of solving environmental problems require in terms of professional skills? In Module 1, you build the foundations for the course by exploring sustainability as a leadership framework. You will hear from two inspiring leaders about the intersection of justice, outdoor education, and environmental leadership. You will begin to build your own personal sustainability leadership plan after listening to an engaging podcast from an Indigenous water advocate and assessing a complex case where conservation values run up against local preferences and needs.

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores the application of leadership to empower learners to be positive change agents, which is highly relevant for sustainability professionals

Prepares current and future sustainability professionals to tackle complex challenges, which is a core skill for leaders in this field

Examines how power structures, social justice, and equity impact organizations, which is highly relevant to sustainability leadership

Drafting a personalized action plan can help begin or advance your career in sustainability, which is useful for professional growth

Belongs to a course series dedicated to shaping the next generation of sustainable practices and leadership, indicating comprehensiveness and detail

Requires a rethinking of how people and organizations exert leadership, which may add color to other topics and subjects

Reviews summary

Leadership skills for sustainability challenges

According to students, this course offers a solid foundation in applying leadership principles to sustainability challenges. Learners appreciated the focus on 'wicked problems' and the practical insights provided through interviews and case studies. Many found the discussions on equity, values, and power dynamics particularly valuable. The personalized action plan was highlighted as a useful tool for applying concepts to real-world careers or organizations. While generally well-received and relevant, some felt certain topics could benefit from more in-depth exploration or more interactive elements.

Provides a solid base for understanding.

"This course offers a really solid foundation for anyone looking to lead in the sustainability space."

"It's a great introductory course that covers the essential aspects of sustainability leadership."

"I gained a comprehensive overview of what sustainability leadership entails."

"The concepts introduced are fundamental and well-explained for a foundational understanding."

Includes diverse learning materials.

"I really enjoyed the mix of lectures, interviews with leaders, and case studies."

"The podcast and video content helped bring the concepts to life."

"Case studies provided practical examples of the leadership challenges discussed."

"The materials were diverse and kept me engaged throughout the course."

Helps create a personal sustainability plan.

"The personalized action plan was incredibly helpful for structuring my own approach to sustainability leadership."

"Drafting my sustainability leadership plan was a practical outcome I can use moving forward."

"I appreciated the structure provided to develop my own plan based on the course concepts."

"The final module guides you through creating a valuable personal action strategy."

Valuable insights on equity, values, power.

"The modules on values, equity, and power were eye-opening and critical for understanding modern leadership."

"I found the discussions on social justice and equity in leadership particularly impactful."

"Exploring ethics and values provided a strong foundation for ethical decision-making in sustainability."

"The course tackles important, sometimes uncomfortable, topics like power structures."

Applies leadership to real sustainability issues.

"This course provided me with highly relevant content for leading sustainability initiatives."

"I learned how to apply leadership concepts specifically to environmental and social challenges."

"The focus on 'wicked problems' is exactly what I needed to understand complex issues."

"The course addresses the unique leadership needs within the sustainability field."

Some topics could be explored further.

"While broad, some areas felt a bit surface-level and could use more detailed coverage."

"I would have appreciated more in-depth exploration of specific change management frameworks."

"Certain complex topics were introduced but not delved into as deeply as I hoped."

"The course provides an overview, but for deeper understanding, external resources might be needed."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Sustainability Leadership Development with these activities:

Review 'The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History'

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Understand the scope of the environmental challenges that sustainability leadership aims to address.

View The Sixth Extinction (Tenth Anniversary Edition) on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read the book, taking notes on key concepts and examples.
Reflect on the implications for sustainability leadership.

Review 'Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming'

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Familiarize yourself with potential solutions to environmental problems, informing your sustainability leadership approach.

View Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read the book, focusing on the proposed solutions and their feasibility.
Consider how these solutions can be implemented through effective leadership.

Review the concept of Environmental Justice

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Strengthen your understanding of environmental justice principles, which are crucial for equitable sustainability leadership.

Browse courses on Environmental Justice

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Review the EPA's definition of environmental justice.
Research examples of environmental injustice in your community.
Reflect on how environmental justice relates to sustainability leadership.

Four other activities

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Create a presentation on a sustainability leader

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Deepen your understanding of sustainability leadership by researching and presenting on an inspiring figure.

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Choose a sustainability leader to research.
Gather information on their background, accomplishments, and leadership style.
Create a presentation summarizing your findings.
Present your findings to peers or colleagues.

Volunteer with a local environmental organization

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Gain practical experience and contribute to sustainability efforts by volunteering with a local organization.

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Research local environmental organizations.
Contact an organization and inquire about volunteer opportunities.
Participate in volunteer activities and learn from experienced professionals.

Develop a sustainability action plan for your workplace or community

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Apply sustainability leadership principles to a real-world context by developing a comprehensive action plan.

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Identify a specific area for improvement in your workplace or community.
Research best practices and potential solutions.
Develop a detailed action plan with measurable goals and timelines.
Present your plan to stakeholders and seek feedback.

Create a stakeholder map for a sustainability initiative

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Practice identifying and analyzing stakeholders involved in sustainability initiatives, a key leadership skill.

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Choose a sustainability initiative to analyze.
Identify all stakeholders involved in the initiative.
Map the relationships and influence of each stakeholder.
Analyze the stakeholder map to identify potential challenges and opportunities.

Career center

Learners who complete Sustainability Leadership Development will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Sustainability Consultant

A Sustainability Consultant advises organizations on how to integrate sustainable practices into their operations. This course, with its focus on sustainability leadership and tackling complex challenges, directly prepares individuals to understand and implement effective sustainability strategies. The course explores how power structures, social justice, and equity intersect with sustainability, providing a valuable lens for a consultant seeking to create meaningful change. The emphasis on values, long-term thinking, and building a common vision, as well as the exploration of organizational culture, enables a sustainability consultant to drive positive transformation within various organizations. Also, the course's personal action plan will help a consultant to be effective.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sustainability Consultant

Environmental Program Manager

An Environmental Program Manager oversees the development and implementation of programs aimed at environmental protection and conservation. This course helps individuals understand the unique attributes required to solve environmental problems. This includes examining how leadership for sustainability differs from traditional approaches. The course's focus on equity, relationships, power, cultural change, and systems change within organizations is useful for an Environmental Program Manager who needs to lead diverse teams and implement impactful programs. The course emphasizes learning through real-world case studies, conversations with key leaders, and self assessments, which is beneficial for someone in this management role. Completing the modules that delve into ethics, values, and vision will also help a Program Manager.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Program Manager

Chief Sustainability Officer

A Chief Sustainability Officer is a high-level executive responsible for developing and implementing an organization’s sustainability strategy. The course's exploration of sustainability as a leadership framework and the emphasis on ethics, long-term thinking, and building a common vision are highly relevant for a Chief Sustainability Officer. This person must effectively lead cultural and systems change within their organizations. The course helps build the competencies needed to drive and manage such change. The focus on power structures, social justice, and equity, as well as the development of a personalized action plan, are helpful in shaping a holistic approach to sustainability. This course introduces one to the unique attributes of solving environmental problems.

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Corporate Social Responsibility Manager

A Corporate Social Responsibility Manager develops and manages a company's social responsibility initiatives. This course helps to understand how organizations respond to declines in environmental and social capital, which is essential knowledge for a Corporate Social Responsibility Manager. The course's focus on exploring ethics, building vision, and understanding power dynamics is beneficial for developing responsible business practices. Furthermore, the course's emphasis on cultural change and systems thinking within organizations is relevant to improving social and environmental performance in any company. The course also provides insight into building relationships and making decisions based on values.

See salaries and explore the career path for Corporate Social Responsibility Manager

Sustainability Analyst

A Sustainability Analyst researches and analyzes data related to sustainability issues, in order to inform organizational strategy. This course helps build practical skills in sustainability leadership, which is useful in driving change. This type of role requires an understanding of how sustainability leadership differs from traditional models. The course’s focus on equity, relationships, and power helps a Sustainability Analyst to understand the complex social dynamics at play in sustainability efforts. Learning to apply sustainability leadership to real-world situations will benefit a Sustainability Analyst because it will help them assess complex cases and create innovative solutions.

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Environmental Educator

An Environmental Educator develops and delivers educational programs about environmental issues. The course explores sustainability as a leadership framework, which is valuable for an individual involved in environmental education. The course's content on ethics, values, and vision, helps build a strong foundation for creating educational content, as well as strategies for influencing behavior. The emphasis on active listening and understanding different perspectives helps an Environmental Educator effectively engage with diverse learners. Through this course, they may become a more effective guide as they educate others about environmental and social issues.

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Policy Advocate

A Policy Advocate works to advance policies that support environmental protection and sustainability. This course, with its emphasis on how power structures, social justice, and equity impact organizations, may be useful in helping shape policy recommendations. The course’s focus on cultural and systems change can inform policy strategies and implementation. Learning to apply sustainability leadership in real world situations, such as through case studies, may also be useful for a policy advocate. The focus on values and vision will also allow a policy advocate to make more ethically and morally driven recommendations.

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Community Organizer

A Community Organizer works to mobilize and empower communities around social change and sustainability initiatives. The course's emphasis on equity, relationships, and power helps a community organizer to better understand the dynamics within and among communities they serve, and to create effective strategies for engagement. The course emphasizes ethics and values, which is critical for a Community Organizer who must build trust and collaboration. The course’s lessons on active listening and cultural competency are also essential for creating positive and inclusive community change.

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Nonprofit Program Director

A Nonprofit Program Director oversees the development and implementation of a nonprofit organization’s programs related to sustainability and social impact. This course may be useful, as it focuses on identifying the different attributes of solving environmental problems, and also explores the unique differences of sustainability leadership from traditional leadership. The course's focus on power structures, social justice, and equity impacts on organizations can inform effective program design and implementation. Additionally, the understanding of cultural and systems change gained from the course is essential for leading positive change within nonprofit organizations.

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Urban Planner

An Urban Planner develops plans for the growth and development of cities and regions. This course may be useful, as it addresses how organizations respond to declines in environmental and social capital, issues that are highly relevant to urban planning. The course’s lessons on ethics, values, vision, and long-term thinking can inform sustainable planning and decision making in order to address complex urban issues. Also, the course's focus on cultural and systems change can help implement sustainability projects in urban settings, with a focus on equity.

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Renewable Energy Project Manager

A Renewable Energy Project Manager oversees the planning, development, and implementation of renewable energy projects. The course may be useful as it explores how organizations respond to declines in environmental and social capital to tackle complex challenges. The course develops skills in sustainability leadership, which is beneficial for a project manager who must lead teams of individuals. The course's approach to cultural and systems change within organizations is helpful for influencing positive change within energy companies. The course also builds competencies that may be valuable for success in this role.

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Public Health Advocate

A Public Health Advocate promotes policies and programs that improve public health outcomes. This course may be useful as it introduces the idea that organizations respond to declines in environmental and social capital, which affects public health. The course's emphasis on ethics, values, vision, and long-term thinking is relevant for creating effective public health campaigns. This field often involves building relationships and understanding community needs. This course also explores power dynamics, which is important for public health advocacy.

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Social Entrepreneur

A Social Entrepreneur develops and leads ventures that address social and environmental problems. This course’s focus on sustainability leadership provides tools for social entrepreneurs who must lead teams and inspire social change. The course emphasizes ethics, values, and vision and the understanding of power dynamics, which is essential for a social entrepreneur who needs to develop effective and ethical solutions. Learning to apply sustainability leadership to real-world situations through case studies may be useful for planning a venture. The personal action plan developed in the course will also help entrepreneurs form a path to achieving goals.

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Supply Chain Analyst

A Supply Chain Analyst examines the efficiency and sustainability of a company’s supply chain. This course may be useful, as it introduces how organizations respond to declines in environmental and social capital. The course's focus on cultural and systems change could aid in implementing more sustainable supply chain practices. The exploration of ethics and values could also inform ethical decision making in supply chains. This course is designed to help individuals address 'wicked problems,' which is useful since global supply chains involve complex issues.

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Facilities Manager

A Facilities Manager oversees the maintenance and operation of buildings and facilities. This course may be helpful as it addresses how organizations respond to environmental issues. The course emphasizes values and vision, which can be used to implement more sustainable practices in buildings. The modules also focus on equity, relationships, and power, which is useful for engaging employees and colleagues. The course's focus on culture and systems change could inform how to make facilities more environmentally efficient.

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Sustainability Leadership Development

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Leadership skills for sustainability challenges

Activities

Career center

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