
Three things I know: taking over the family business Â
How many times did I secretly wish for my father to leave the business and leave me the sole âQueenâ on board? Ten years later, I cannot imagine working without him by...
by David Bach, Natalia Olynec, Heather Cairns-Lee Published January 27, 2025 in Brain Circuits ⢠3 min read
Driving sustainability transformation is much harder than many had anticipated. Meeting the SDGs poses multifaceted challenges for which there are no established models or easy answers. To tackle them, leaders need to be emotionally intelligent, resilient, and willing to engage in ongoing development and collaborate with multiple stakeholders. Meaningful progress thus requires strengthening the leadership capabilities of sustainability champions â not merely their strategic acumen and mastery of practical tools.
Â
In November 2023, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), together with various non-profit and business education institutions established the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) as a necessary supplement to the SDGs.
The IDGs start from the premise that accumulating more knowledge about the climate crisis and other societal problems will not lead to the required level of action â simply investing in more think tanks, technologies, and policy instruments seems unlikely to resolve them.
The IDG framework consists of five dimensions and 23 transformational skills that are critical for leaders to drive necessary change. These so-called âsoftâ skills are needed to capture existing inner resources and help organizations turn them towards their ongoing sustainability efforts. The five dimensions are:
Â
To tackle the climate crisis and the social ills targeted in the SDGs, we need to incorporate a focus on the inner drivers of action (and inaction). Doing so is likely to boost the psychological, adaptive, and cultural capacity to work together towards the necessary transformation and boost the chances of achieving sustainable development for a more equitable world.
President of IMD and NestlĂŠ Professor of Strategy and Political Economy
David Bach is President of IMD and NestlĂŠ Professor of Strategy and Political Economy. He assumed the Presidency of IMD on 1 September 2024. He is working to broaden and deepen IMDâs global impact through learning innovation, excellence in degree- and executive programs, and applied thought leadership. Recognized globally as an innovator in management education, Bach previously served as IMDâs Dean of Innovation and Programs.
Chief Sustainability Officer at IMD
Natalia is the Chief Sustainability Officer at IMD. She designs and implements sustainability strategy, develops executive education programs and advisory, publishes research, builds cross-sector partnerships, and communicates IMDâs ambitions and progress. The Center for Sustainable and Inclusive Business, co-led by Olynec, aims to support leaders and companies to take steps towards a more sustainable and inclusive business world by harnessing IMDâs knowledge and expertise in this field and offering tools to help them deliver systemic, innovative, and impactful responses.
Affiliate Professor of Leadership and Communication
Heather Cairns-Lee is Affiliate Professor of Leadership and Communication at IMD. She is a member of IMDâs Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council and an experienced executive coach. She works to develop reflective and responsible leaders and caring inclusive cultures in organizations and society.
July 4, 2025 in Brain Circuits
How many times did I secretly wish for my father to leave the business and leave me the sole âQueenâ on board? Ten years later, I cannot imagine working without him by...
July 3, 2025 ⢠by Eric Quintane in Brain Circuits
Entrepreneurial talent who work with other teams often run into trouble with their managers. Here are ways to get the most out of your âboundary spannersâ...
July 3, 2025 ⢠by Susanne May in Brain Circuits
Culture shapes how people work together, makeâŻdecisions, handleâŻconflict, and supportâŻeach other. Ask yourself the following questions to check where your teams might be going wrong, and read on for tips on maximizing...
July 2, 2025 ⢠by Susan Goldsworthy in Brain Circuits
When we feel stressed, weâre more likely to operate from a place of fear and fall back on a mindset that is fixed, judgmental, and focused on polarities â behaviour that soon...
Explore first person business intelligence from top minds curated for a global executive audience