Leadership for Sustainability - what is it and how is it relevant in 2026?

​As organisations restructure, cut costs, and respond to shifting political, regulatory, and cultural pressures, many leaders are re-examining the role of sustainability. What was once positioned as a source of competitive advantage is, in some organisations, being reduced to compliance, reporting, or quietly folded into other functions. This raises a critical leadership question: is sustainability shaping strategic direction — or merely documenting it? 

​In this Leadership Experiment Dialogue, Christine Seddon draws on evidence-based insights developed for her AHRI keynote to explore the changing context for sustainable development and the strategic choices now facing executive teams and Boards. The session helps leaders clarify their organisation’s sustainability intent, understand the different leadership and governance approaches required for different ambitions, and surface the conversations that too often remain unspoken. 

​This is not a session about ideology or box-ticking. It is about strategic clarity, leadership judgement, and making deliberate choices about how sustainability creates — or erodes — value. Because if sustainability isn’t a strategy, it’s just overhead.