Osbert Lancaster : Leadership for Sustainability

Leadership for sustainability, when change is on the menu, it requires leaders who are ready to create the vision and make the difficult decisions required to get there.

The world is constantly changing, but as someone now in his 60s, I have never seen this pace of change. Change is coming at us in almost every direction, and we must all step up to face it.

Leadership on all levels is the answer.

Part 1 of Leadership for Sustainability

Where our conversation explores Osbert’s life and our normal questions. In part 2 takes an in-depth look at leadership and how that fits in to the sustainability narrative. 

Our guest on the show is an expert in leadership and sustainability. Osbert Lancaster has been in the industry even before the word sustainability appeared in the business dictionary.

Most of his early consultancy conversations involved a lot of explanations.       

Our conversation explores his journey towards his chosen career. It begins with an unusual childhood, as much of his early life was spent travelling with his parents. They were social anthropologists living in various locations around the middle east. He was not aware at the time, but the experience gave him a window into a unique way of life.

Economic Development is a Sticking Plaster

When he was too old to travel, he did his time in a private boarding school as you do when your parents travel, and ultimately went on to university to study agriculture.

After twists and turns, he found himself in In economic development. It was while working in Poland in the 1980s that he realised economic development was about putting a sticking plaster on the failures of society and creating business opportunities out to other people’s misery.

That realisation led Osbert to explore the idea of sustainability and sustainable development and he has never looked back.

In part 2 of the conversation we explore how the world of sustainability has changed over the last 30 years, Net Zero and small business, His biggest failure and the big success.

Time Stamps

21:00 Passion: How can we take action
22.30 success:  feeling he was making a difference and what it takes to do that.
25:00  Thoughts on Sustainability,  Politics and Leadership 
28.46 Contribution:  Leadership for sustainability podcast 
31.45 Avoiding burn out 
34:00 Meaning:   Connection and belonging
41:00 Leadership and sustainability 

I found time to make some time stamp notes let me know if they are useful.

Part 2 Time stamp
3:00 Not all heroes wear capes
5:00 Working together, leadership and bringing people with you.
8:00 Having difficult conversation and finding common ground.
11:00 The new podcast for sustainability
12:00 Small business and the impact of Net Zero
15:00 Sustainability Goals & Narratives
19:00 What does a good life look like, and cultural shift.
23:00 Lessons learned from failure.
28:00 Biggest success
34:00 The out come from divestment
35:00 The wrap up.

---

Support for Podcasters:

Running a podcast is fun, but it takes time and dedication. Whenever you enjoy a podcast please share your appreciation with comments, likes, shares and reviews. It helps other listeners find good content and supports the content creators and their guests.

---

---

Discover Life, Passion & Business:

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however, the real work begins by taking action in your own life. Now you’re here, please explore our Events and Resources pages to discover how Life Passion & Business can support you.

Quick Links:-