Have you ever tried to sell sustainability or other important changes (e.g. technology, innovations) within your organization or to clients or vendors, only to encounter excuses or copouts? There are some typical responses you may hear from those who seemingly oppose sustainability initiatives, such as "customers won't pay for it" or "we don't have time." It's easy to interpret this as "we're not interested" but what you're more likely facing is basic human nature: resistance to change! Most people get that sustainability and innovation are important, but it can be like putting a size 10 foot into a size 6 shoe. Organizations need to be stretched to accommodate such initiatives, and that takes bold leadership! Whether you are the person making the excuses or the one trying to overcome the resistance, change is possible if you embrace the Top 10 leadership principles shared in this session. The context for this course is sustainability, and many of the examples are from hospitality, but these "excuses" come up in other contexts and the leadership principles apply to any change!
Dr. Aurora Dawn Benton is Founder and Chief Change Agent of Astrapto LLC, which offers courses, coaching, and consulting to advance sustainability. Her passion is to make sustainability practical and positive for people whose job title is not sustainability, but who have a passion for driving positive impact in and through their organizations.
