If you were to type on Google ‘what is climate action leadership?’, the search results often include broad terms that only provide abstract depictions of what climate action leadership might be. Based on these results, it would appear as if this question does not have a clear answer. The fact is that climate action leadership is complicated. Nonetheless, this is an important question to discuss as the fate of human society depends on the work of these so called ‘climate action leaders’. So, what is climate action leadership?
Leadership has a range of definitions, but at its simplest, leadership is influence. Most commonly, leadership is defined in terms of individuals who are in charge of a group (Hogan & Kaiser, 2005). Such individuals are generally characterized by admirable qualities, such as intelligence, ambition, charisma and hard work. However, being at the top of a group, or demonstrating these qualities does not guarantee talent for leadership (Hogan & Kaiser, 2005). Leadership involves the pursuit of a collective goal, and should be defined in terms of the ability to influence others to achieve that goal (Hughes, 2009). The competencies required by a leader can be drastically different depending on the group’s goal. Therefore, a climate action leader requires the competencies that are integral to the specific climate action objective.
“Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow”
—Unknown
Since climate action can take many forms, climate action leadership may look different depending on the specific objective. Climate action is commonly defined as “stepped-up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts” (United Nations, 2015, ). In other words, climate action can be understood as the intersection between mitigation and adaptation efforts, with the overarching goal of reducing the negative effects of human-caused climate change. Different forms of climate action may require specific competencies. For example, a climate action leader in the energy sector may require a different set of competencies than a climate action leader in a government role. However, even when considering the underlying goal of any climate action effort, defining climate action leadership presents additional complications.
Earth’s climate exhibits all the characteristics of a complex system. Comprised of several components, a complex system is difficult to explain due to the relationships, interactions and dependencies between its parts. While complex systems can be found across a wide range of fields, a few commonalities distinguish them from other types of systems (Homer-Dixon, 2011). Complex systems have unclear and arbitrary boundaries; feature a constant flow of energy across this ‘boundary’; and display nonlinear and threshold behaviours, as well as a characteristic known as emergence (Homer-Dixon, 2011). Emergence is present when the “system as a whole exhibits novel properties that we can’t understand – and maybe can’t even predict” (Homer-Dixon, 2011, p. 3). Such novel properties are not apparent when the components of a system are observed individually, but instead result from the relationships, interactions and dependencies between them. In broad terms, emergence describes a phenomenon that is considered difficult, or even impossible, to predict due to the several entities that make up the system (Homer-Dixon, 2011). Climate action leaders are therefore tasked with influencing collective efforts to address the impacts of a system that is almost impossible to predict.
“When nothing is sure, everything is possible”
—Margaret Drabble
As if effective leadership wasn’t challenging enough, the uncertainty brought by climate change only adds to the difficulty of climate action leadership. In order to confront increasing uncertainty, climate action leadership demands an aptitude for several competencies from which this blog only focuses on three: futures thinking, identifying ‘leverage points’, and ‘two-eyed seeing’ (Bartlett, Marshall & Marshall, 2012; Inayatullah, 2008; Meadows, 1999).
1) Futures thinking is defined as the ability to envision possible futures, build strategies for various plausible consequences, and lead the transformation towards a desired outcome (Inayatullah, 2008). Futures thinking provides the tools to identify current trends, examine potential paths, and reimagine the way the world works to create the conditions for a paradigm shift (Inayatullah, 2008). By applying futures thinking, climate action leaders are able to navigate uncertainty and develop strategies to overcome unexpected circumstances.
2) Leverage points are defined as places within a system “where a small shift in one thing can produce big changes in everything” (Meadows, 1999, p. 1). That is, a place that requires small effort to change, but when done, it leads to larger change in the overall structure of the system. Within a complex system, leverage points are counterintuitive, meaning we are likely to misuse them, which can oftentimes worsen the problems we are trying to solve (Meadows, 1999). The ability to identify leverage points allows climate action leaders to target the specific points that require minimal effort to produce a large impact.
3) Two-eyed seeing refers to the process of bringing Indigenous knowledge and mainstream knowledge together as equal. This approach follows the Mi’kmaq philosophy of Toqwa’tu’kl Kjijitaqnn, meaning “bringing our knowledges together” (Bartlett, Marshall & Marshall, 2012). The two-eyed seeing approach seeks to push beyond colonial barriers to assimilate Indigenous and Western knowledge by recognizing the best from both methods (Bartlett, Marshall & Marshall, 2012). Two-eyed seeing allows climate action leaders to employ a harmonized perspective and make use of the lens that is most suitable for a given situation.
“There is a light that shines in the darkness, which is only visible there”
—Barbara Brown Taylor
Considering the challenges posed by complex systems, climate action leadership is primarily concerned with the pursuit of a collective goal in the face of uncertainty. By developing proficiency in futures thinking, identifying ‘leverage points’, and ‘two-eyed seeing’, climate action leaders can better prepare for unpredictable challenges, while continue to influence others to achieve a collective goal. Since climate action entails solving the problems of an uncertain future, I would argue that regardless of what field you are in, climate action leadership is to master uncertainty.
References
Bartlett, C., Marshall, M., & Marshall, A. (2012). Two-Eyed Seeing and other lessons learned within a co-learning journey of bringing together indigenous and mainstream knowledges and ways of knowing. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 2(4), 331-340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-012-0086-8
Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2005). What we know about Leadership. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.169
Homer-Dixon, T. (2011). We live in a world of complex systems. Oxford Leadership Journal, 2(1), 1-15.
Hughes, R. (2009). Time for leadership development interventions in the public health nutrition workforce. Public Health Nutrition, 12(8), 1029–1029. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980009990395
Inayatullah, S. (2008). Six pillars: Futures thinking for transforming. Foresight, 10(1), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636680810855991
Meadows, H., D. (1999). Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System. The Sustainability Institute.
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world : the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UN General Assembly. A/RES/70/1. https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b6e3e44.html