The six dimensions of collective leadership that advance sustainability objectives: rethinking what it means to be an academic leader

Abstract

Solutions to our most pressing environmental problems demand the development and application of leadership skills that are not typically fostered in traditional academic programs: skills that advance new transdisciplinary approaches to co-produce knowledge that can be mobilized for action. We outline a new collective leadership model with six dimensions, Inquire, Connect, Engage, Strategize, Empower, and Reflect, and show through a series of case studies how each of these leadership dimensions can be used to create positive and lasting change for people and their environments. We also describe how academic researchers can learn to apply these dimensions in their own work and introduce a series of companion online narratives and teaching resources designed to facilitate the use of this collective leadership model in classrooms.

Keywords

• collective leadership
• knowledge to action
• sustainability
• transdisciplinary leadership