Idea in Brief
The Opportunity
Corporate sustainability efforts owe their success in large part to countless hidden actors and unsung heroes: an organization’s critical midlevel executives and team leaders. But how can they be empowered, and what should they prioritize?
The Stages
Middle managers’ sustainability playbook varies with the sustainability maturity of their company. Is it culturally resistant to social and environmental initiatives, hyperfocused on them, or some-where in between?
The Advice
The core mission for midlevel champions at companies starting on the road to sustainability is to build capabilities and buy-in. From there they should increase the ambition and scale of external partnerships and sector-level initiatives.