Episode 31
Make change happen: turn colleagues into allies
How do you actually make change happen? What’s the right balance between collaboration and competition? How important is it to convince people about the importance of sustainability?
Last year we (Osbert, Morag and Rich, co-founders of Realise Earth) headed for the hills of Westmoreland to camp, walk and talk – to see if we could pool our varied experiences of sustainability leadership to identify, and overcome, the fundamental challenge facing sustainability leaders. (We do our strategy and innovation out in nature.)
That challenge, we agreed, is that action on sustainability comes up against other priorities, and this leads to conflict, which blocks progress.
In this episode we lift the curtain on our conversations, to explain how and why, we not only came to this conclusion, but also came to realise the critical issue is that change needs collaboration, not conflict.
We discuss why, to make change happen, you need to move beyond conflicting priorities and turn your colleagues and stakeholders into active allies working with you towards shared goals.
Looking back at our very different careers in sustainability, we identify the common threads that underpin successful change, and talk through the practical five step approach we developed to help sustainability leaders make change happen:
- Map the system
- Discover what really matters
- Identify common ground
- Invite them to join
- Work together for change
We also discuss the core skills sustainability leaders need to work in this way, and share our experience of working with these ‘Inner Development Goals’ in corporate environments.
Listen for rich insights and practical advice that you can apply right away to make change happen.
You'll find all the links mentioned in this episode in the companion guide here:
https://realise.earth/make-change-happen-a-how-to-guide/
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Mentioned in this episode:
Upcoming events
Leadership for Susainability Online Meet Up 22 May 2025 Leadership for Sustainability Netwalks, Edinburgh, various dates Your Wild Nature 3 Day Women’s Retreat, Scotland, 30 May – 02 Jun 2025.
