Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations

doi:10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y

. 2021;16(2):703-708.

doi: 10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y. Epub 2021 Mar 4.

Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations

O Care¹, M J Bernstein², M Chapman³, I Diaz Reviriego⁴, G Dressler^{5

6}, M R Felipe-Lucia^{7

8}, C Friis^{9

10}, S Graham¹¹, H Hänke¹², L J Haider¹³, M Hernández-Morcillo¹⁴, H Hoffmann¹⁵, M Kernecker¹⁵, P Nicol¹⁶, C Piñeiro¹⁷, H Pitt¹⁶, C Schill^{13

18}, V Seufert¹⁹, K Shu²⁰, V Valencia²¹, J G Zaehringer²²

Affiliations

¹ The Careoperative, Berlin, Germany.
² School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA.
³ Department of Geography and URPP Global Change and Biodiversity, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
⁵ Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Environmental Systems Research, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastr. 12, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
⁷ Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Puschstrasse 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
⁸ Department of Ecosystem Services, German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
⁹ IRI THESys, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
¹⁰ Section for Geography, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
¹¹ School of Geography and Sustainable Communities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2522 Australia.
¹² Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Goettingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
¹³ Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁴ Faculty of Forest and Environment, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Alfred Möller Straße 1, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany.
¹⁵ Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany.
¹⁶ Sustainable Places Research Institute Cardiff University, 33 Park Place Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3BA UK.
¹⁷ Altekio S.Coop.Mad, Paseo de Las Acacias, 3, 1a, 28005 Madrid, Spain.
¹⁸ Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁹ Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1111, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
²⁰ Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation State Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8 Street, 24-100 Puławy, Poland.
²¹ Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6700AK Wageningen, The Netherlands.
²² Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.

PMID: 33686348
PMCID: PMC7929730
DOI: 10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y

Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations

O Care et al. Sustain Sci. 2021.

. 2021;16(2):703-708.

doi: 10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y. Epub 2021 Mar 4.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ The Careoperative, Berlin, Germany.
² School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA.
³ Department of Geography and URPP Global Change and Biodiversity, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
⁵ Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Environmental Systems Research, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastr. 12, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
⁷ Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Puschstrasse 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
⁸ Department of Ecosystem Services, German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
⁹ IRI THESys, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
¹⁰ Section for Geography, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
¹¹ School of Geography and Sustainable Communities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2522 Australia.
¹² Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Goettingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
¹³ Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁴ Faculty of Forest and Environment, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Alfred Möller Straße 1, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany.
¹⁵ Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany.
¹⁶ Sustainable Places Research Institute Cardiff University, 33 Park Place Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3BA UK.
¹⁷ Altekio S.Coop.Mad, Paseo de Las Acacias, 3, 1a, 28005 Madrid, Spain.
¹⁸ Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden.
¹⁹ Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1111, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
²⁰ Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation State Research Institute, Czartoryskich 8 Street, 24-100 Puławy, Poland.
²¹ Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6700AK Wageningen, The Netherlands.
²² Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.

PMID: 33686348
PMCID: PMC7929730
DOI: 10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y

Abstract

Enduring sustainability challenges requires a new model of collective leadership that embraces critical reflection, inclusivity and care. Leadership collectives can support a move in academia from metrics to merits, from a focus on career to care, and enact a shift from disciplinary to inter- and trans-disciplinary research. Academic organisations need to reorient their training programs, work ethics and reward systems to encourage collective excellence and to allow space for future leaders to develop and enact a radically re-imagined vision of how to lead as a collective with care for people and the planet.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-021-00909-y.

Keywords: Academic practice; Collegiality; Equality; Sustainability transition; Well-being.

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Figures

**Fig. 1**
A metaphorical representation of leadership collectives. Analogous to healthy agro-ecosystems, leadership collectives require nourishing conditions (taking root), exchanging with others to enrich and diversify (Pollinating), and encouraging collective processes and action to expand (Seeding change), to cultivate caring, trusting and reflexive spaces for sustainability transformations. (Figure by: Veronica Remmele)

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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[1] Boone CG, Pickett STA, Bammer G, et al. Preparing interdisciplinary leadership for a sustainable future. Sustain Sci. 2020;15:1723–1733. doi: 10.1007/s11625-020-00823-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[2] Boone CG, Pickett STA, Bammer G, et al. Preparing interdisciplinary leadership for a sustainable future. Sustain Sci. 2020;15:1723–1733. doi: 10.1007/s11625-020-00823-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[3] Brandt P, Ernst A, Gralla F, et al. A review of transdisciplinary research in sustainability science. Ecol Econ. 2013;92:1–15. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.04.008. - DOI

[4] Brandt P, Ernst A, Gralla F, et al. A review of transdisciplinary research in sustainability science. Ecol Econ. 2013;92:1–15. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.04.008. - DOI

[5] Coate K, Howson CK. Indicators of esteem: gender and prestige in academic work. Br J Sociol Educ. 2016;37:567–585. doi: 10.1080/01425692.2014.955082. - DOI

[6] Coate K, Howson CK. Indicators of esteem: gender and prestige in academic work. Br J Sociol Educ. 2016;37:567–585. doi: 10.1080/01425692.2014.955082. - DOI

[7] Corbera E, Anguelovski I, Honey-Rosés J, Ruiz-Mallén I. Academia in the time of COVID-19: towards an ethics of care. Plan Theory Pract. 2020;21:191–199. doi: 10.1080/14649357.2020.1757891. - DOI

[8] Corbera E, Anguelovski I, Honey-Rosés J, Ruiz-Mallén I. Academia in the time of COVID-19: towards an ethics of care. Plan Theory Pract. 2020;21:191–199. doi: 10.1080/14649357.2020.1757891. - DOI

[9] Ey M, Mee K, Allison J, et al. Becoming reading group: reflections on assembling a collegiate, caring collective. Aust Geogr. 2020 doi: 10.1080/00049182.2020.1759181. - DOI

[10] Ey M, Mee K, Allison J, et al. Becoming reading group: reflections on assembling a collegiate, caring collective. Aust Geogr. 2020 doi: 10.1080/00049182.2020.1759181. - DOI

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Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations

Affiliations

Creating leadership collectives for sustainability transformations

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Abstract

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