Recently Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder of Seventh Generation and sustainability pioneer, was told to pack his bags and hit the road by the company’s powers that be. While a letter from Seventh Generation’s Chairman, Peter Graham, hints that the “managerial complexities” had exceeded Hollender’s capabilities one wonders what the real reasons were behind the sudden and unexpected departure of the man who labored tirelessly to build such a powerful brand.
A New Look at Strategic Planning - Has the old tried-and-true SWOt analysis become obsolete?
I have been through a number of strategic planning processes. Most of them include some variation of the traditional SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and the final product is usually a large, nicely bound, strategic plan. Upon completion, after a sigh of relief that the work is done, the plan typically hits the bookshelf or desk drawer and it’s rarely revisited until the next planning cycle begins 12 months later. In some cases parts of the plan have been obsolete before we even had a time to print it out because of the rapid changes happening in the business and the market.
Leading the Sustainability-Driven Company, Part 2 - What are some of the core characteristics of the sustainability-driven leader?
This time we look at what makes a sustainability-driven leader tick. While there is no one ideal leadership profile that guarantees success in driving a strategic sustainability agenda, research has discovered some core characteristics that seem to enable individuals to embrace sustainability principles and drive them through the organizational culture.
Leading the Sustainability-Driven Company, Part 1 - What does it take to lead your organization on its sustainability journey?
Over the years I have been extremely fortunate to learn from some of the true exemplar business leaders at the forefront of the sustainability revolution (the pursuit economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility) – real pioneers that were blazing trails and showing what was possible long before the mainstream corporate world gave two hoots about “going green.” These individuals, such as Ray Anderson of Interface, Inc., Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Anita Roddick of The Body Shop, and Bob Stiller of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, tell a new story of leadership.
Leaving a Legacy - Many values-driven entrepreneurs find themselves asking, “Should I stay or should I go?” They wonder if their value-driven companies can continue without them.
As I researched leadership among pioneers and company founders such as Anita Roddick of The Body Shop, Seth Goldman of Honest Tea, Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Gary Hirshberg of Stoneyfield Farm, and others, a topic that came up frequently was that of legacy and succession. You see there comes a point with most entrepreneurs when they start envisioning the next big idea, long to explore other possibilities, or sense the company could benefit from new leadership to take it to the next level.
The Evolution of Leadership - A look at where leadership is heading
Leadership has been a significant presence in the recorded history of humans and it is one of the world’s oldest obsessions, rivaling in age the very emergence of civilization. The topic of leadership is familiar to all peoples and it knows no cultural boundaries.
Can, Should Business Lead the Way to a Sustainable Future? - Who do you trust more, global corporations or the government?
In an interesting article titled “Will Green Corporate Giants Achieve What Governments Can't?” on greenbiz.com by Marc Gunther, the author explores the great strides many major, global corporations have made recently in the area of sustainability and he discusses the trend that some of these organizations are now “setting policy” which was once the domain of government (e.g., Walmart setting packaging standards versus the EPA).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)