- Published
- 2 May 2025
The number of careers in sustainability management continues to grow in a variety of sectors including technology, healthcare, and finance.
The number of careers in sustainability management continues to grow in a variety of sectors including technology, healthcare, and finance.
In 2022, a global survey by professional services company PwC found 37% of UK boardrooms now operate with a Chief Sustainability Officer.
From critical thinking to problem-solving, a broad range of specialist knowledge and skills is required to solve business sustainability challenges and succeed in a complex landscape.
Let’s explore five most important sustainability leadership skills that you can develop through our online Masters/Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) Sustainable Business Leadership course.
Sustainable Business Leadership MSc
Find out more about our online MSc.
Sustainable Business Leadership PGCert
Find out more about our online PGCert.
Top 5 sustainability manager skills
1. Critical thinking
Sustainability managers must be able to identify areas of improvement in their organisation by considering the internal and external challenges impacting their business goals,leveraging their findings to creatively convert ideas into actions.
By using sustainability frameworks and tools to develop strategies, guide the organisation, and optimise operational practices, they will be able to overcome a variety of social, legal, economic and political challenges linked to sustainability.
2. Complex decision making
Competing demands from various stakeholders and strategic priorities often makes decision-making in sustainability and environmental management roles complex. For example, ambitions to enhance and invest in environmental performance and policies may be competing for priority with a directive to minimise costs.
For sustainability managers, the ability to navigate this, influence the behaviours of others and make smart individual and group decisions is essential to success.
3. Communication and collaboration
The ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with global stakeholders is particularly important for sustainability leadership.
Organisations need to engage customers, employees and other stakeholders in their sustainability strategies and environmental performance. And this requires leaders who can effectively communicate their company’s commitment to achieving such goals.
Similarly, managers need to collaborate with other functions in the organisation, for example to publicise sustainability initiatives or address any public concerns.
4. Project management
Addressing challenges to the environment and sustainability is time-critical and requires rapid solutions, so project management is one of the top skills needed for sustainability.
There are lots of ways that sustainability is becoming an important issue for organisations, but they must also find ways to incorporate this into existing strategies.
For example, environmental management projects and diversity and inclusion initiatives are both important, so how could you balance this and make sure they are equally addressed? Managers must be able to prioritise such tasks and deliver solutions in a timely manner.
5. Analytical skills
In sustainability leadership, it’s essential to have good analytical skills to show the impact that innovative approaches are having on businesses. With the support of sustainability frameworks and tools, this data can be used by leaders to evaluate the benefits and limitations of a variety of sustainability issues from work and economic growth to reduced inequalities.
Develop your sustainability leadership skills with the University of Leeds
Ready to enhance your knowledge and skills for a successful career in sustainability?
Our online Sustainable Business Leadership Masters and Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) draws on sustainability techniques, concepts, and analytical skills to help you problem-solve and communicate solutions to complex business issues.
The course is run by Leeds University Business School and the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds. You’ll gain the skills that employers are actively seeking by learning how to develop and lead on sustainable business strategies in your organisation.
Take control of your learning, study online and thrive in your career with an online Masters from the University of Leeds.
We’re at a crucial juncture where we must shake things up and we can’t just continue as we are, so this programme aims to develop skills and knowledge, but also the values that students and business leaders need to meet the pressing sustainability challenges that we’re facing.