Walking The Talk Is How We Do Climate Leadership
I mean it.
Post Climate Week and heading into COP28, I keep reading debriefs and media analyses about how we are not yet seeing leaders showing leadership or truly acting. Meanwhile, we’ve got nothing but steady reports on increasing emissions and how far we are from meeting Paris Agreement goals. Argh.
People! Have we not had enough years of going-nowhere climate action platitudes and pledging?
Here’s the thing campaigns and leadership calls have been missing, and it’s a phrase almost too common to take seriously. BUT, I’m pointing my neon arrows at it now:
We need visible, celebrated walking of the talk.
If even a handful of influential leaders (like those on global stages last week in NYC) get intentional about being seen doing the personal practices and expressing values that align with their professional language and policy focus areas, it’ll make a big difference. The more the masses of constituents and stakeholders looking for talk-walking actually SEE examples in such a handful of leaders, the more they can be compelled to amplify and loudly support it.
Together we can make it seem as if the social norm of corporate and political leadership is shifting to living change (there’s a reason that’s the name of my podcast) and using their climate influence in their work. Building social capital by walking the talk - starting now - will give any leader a lot more political will when they really need it.
And, we MASSIVELY need more political will from you, leaders.
You do that by:
Building resilient trust.
You do that by:
Showing us more of your human path (it need not be perfect) and how that aligns with your professional decision-making.
You continue this virtuous cycle by:
Intentionally continuing to be seen DOING the things - personally and professionally - that reflect your story of being climate-driven.
To be clear: even if there are even ten of these talk-walking leaders around, those of us - including the media - who are LOOKING to name and fame such leadership should be able to easily find them. When we do see these folks, we stakeholders/constituents are then compelled to help carry that load of changing the climate leadership social norm.
By amplifying even the few (the brave, the bold), we forward the perception of an earth-shattering thunderstorm of climate impact.
This is how we do it.
(Advising on this - for leaders and organizations - is all I do.)
News To Use
I met Dr. Yael Parag in line waiting for a Climate Week event to start. Her work, with Dr. Kathryn B. Janda, on why to find and leverage “middle-out” climate influence, is fascinating. Heads way up.
My takeaway: we need new definitions of influence, and those categories of professionals - like architects - are where we should find, build and amplify climate influence. It seems to align with my belief in the untapped power of local lawmakers (those are middle-out actors, right?). Give it a look.
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Speaking of influence and politicians, a recent episode of the NewDEAL Leaders “An Honorable Profession” is a MUST LISTEN. Their conversation with Tara McGowan of Courier News re: transparency and trust in the media holds insight galore. A few nuggets: how you establish media/storytelling trust by meeting people where they are, that lifting up success stories is key (see my continual call for more “naming and faming”) and how we fight fire with water. YES!!!
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Finally, a loud shout-out for “We Can Fix It” a Substack by the brilliant Kim Nicholas - and her recent post on moral engagement and climate action.
To consider an action a moral issue, you need intent (you did it on purpose) and awareness of its consequences. You also need to consider the issue personally relevant.
The Australian study found that increased moral engagement increased a sense of efficacy (“I matter”, “Individuals matter,”) and responsibility, and increased climate action— from decreasing driving to joining climate movements. It also increased a sense of guilt, which may play a role in driving these behaviors.
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Will I see some of you at GreenBiz VERGE23?
Thanks *so much* for reading/sharing/subscribing. Please comment or message me with questions on building climate influence. I may cover your suggested topics in a future issue. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on LinkedIn or BlueSky in the meantime (I also linger on “X”.)