Leadership is recognized as a crucial element for successfully introducing, implementing andinstitutionalizing change for sustainability. However, it is unclear which purposes, people and processes, regarded as core components of leadership, drive sustainability and how they do it. The objective of this thesis is to investigate how organizational leadership for sustainability can be conceptualized in terms of purposes, people and processes driving sustainability. Addressed research questions are: How is sustainability and leadership viewed and approached by organizational leaders? Which purposes, people and processes drive leadership for sustainability in organizations? How are these purposes, people and processes related in driving leadership for sustainability? To answer these questions, research data has been collected through a case study, primarily through 16 interviews with leaders in different companies who have explicit responsibility for sustainability. The findings suggest that: Purposes that drive leadership for sustainability are many. On an organizational level, a central driver is to meet stakeholder expectations, which in turn may create various business benefits. On an individual level, a core driver is the personal engagement of wanting to do something meaningful by contributing to sustainability and to the personal development of other people. People who drive leadership for sustainability have very mixed backgrounds and are associated with a wide range of abilities and qualities. However, the abilities to coordinate and to shift from silo thinking to systems thinking stand out. Combining generalist competences in systems thinking and coordination with specialist competences within environmental, social and economic dimensions suggests that key competences needed to drive sustainability could be described as M-shaped competences. Processes that drive leadership for sustainability can be described in terms of including elements from a wide range of leadership theories, such as transformational, ethical, shared and emergent leadership. Elements of many different leadership theories seem needed to understand what leadership for sustainability means and how it effectively can be approached. Based on these findings, the overall conclusion is that the 3Ps purposes, people, processes play important roles in driving sustainability. Linking these 3Ps of leadership with the 3Ps of sustainability planet, people, profit into the 6Ps of leadership for sustainability seem to provide a valuable lens or framework for analyzing and understanding organizational leadership for sustainability as it highlights central aspects that seem essential to balance and clarify in order to drive sustainability. / Ledarskap anses vara en avgörande faktor för att framgångsrikt införa, implementera och institutionalisera förändring för hållbarhet. Däremot är det oklart vilka syften, människor och processer, betraktade som centrala delar av ledarskap, som driver hållbarhet och hur de gör det. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur ledarskap för hållbarhet i organisationer kankonceptualiseras i termer av syften, människor och processer som driver hållbarhet. Studiens forskningsfrågor är: Hur uppfattas hållbarhet och ledarskap av ledare i organisationer? Vilka syften, människor och processer driver ledarskap för hållbarhet i organisationer? Hur är dessa syften, människor och processer relaterade i att driva ledarskap för hållbarhet? För att besvara dessa frågor har forskningsdata samlats in genom en fallstudie, främst genom 16 intervjuer med ledare i olika företag som har ett uttalat ansvar för hållbarhet. Resultaten tyder på att: Syftena som driver ledarskap för hållbarhet är många. På organisationsnivå är en central drivkraft att möta intressentförväntningar, vilket i sin tur kan skapa olika typer av  affärsnytta. På individnivå är en central drivkraft det personliga engagemanget att vilja göra något meningsfullt genom att bidra till hållbar utveckling och till andra människors personliga utveckling. Människorna som driver ledarskap för hållbarhet har mycket blandade bakgrunder och är förknippade med ett brett spektrum av förmågor och egenskaper. Men förmågan att  amordna och att gå från sil tänkande till systemtänkande sticker ut. En kombination av generalistkompetenser inom systemtänkande och samordning med specialistkompetenser inom miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner tyder på att en nyckelkompetens som behövs för att driva hållbarhet skulle kunna beskrivas som M-formade kompetenser. Processerna som driver ledarskap för hållbarhet kan beskrivas i termer av bland annat element från ett brett spektrum av ledarskapsteorier, såsom transformerande, etiskt, delat  ch framväxande ledarskap. Element från många olika ledarskapsteorier verkar behövas för att förstå vad ledarskap för hållbarhet innebär och hur det effektivt kan drivas. Baserat på dessa iakttagelser så är den övergripande slutsatsen att syften, människor, processer spelar en viktig roll i att driva en hållbar utveckling. Att länka dessa tre delar av ledarskap (eng. 3Ps purposes, people, processes) med de tre delarna av hållbarhet (eng. 3 Ps people, planet, profit) i ledarskap för hållbarhet (eng. 6Ps of leadership for sustainability) verkar vara en värdefull lins eller ram för att analysera och förstå ledarskap för hållbarhet i organisationer eftersom det belyser centrala aspekter som verkar vara viktiga för att balansera och driva hållbarhet.

This thesis analyzes the challenges faced by female and male leaders in implementing sustainable practices within the retail industry, with a specific focus on a case study involving leadership challenges at a Mexican retailer, referred to throughout as Retail-MX. It focuses on understanding gender-specific obstacles and the influence of organizational culture on sustainability efforts. The research questions guiding the analysis included the specific challenges experienced by female leaders, the role of organizational culture, and the differing perceptions of sustainability challenges between female and male leaders.  To address these questions, a tentative theoretical model was developed that integrates gender, leadership, and organizational culture theories. Data collection included interviews with female and male leaders at Retail-MX. The responses were analyzed using the Gioia method, identifying seventeen first-order concepts which were then grouped into seven second-order themes. These themes were further organized into four aggregate dimensions and analyzed through the lens of gender and leadership and organizational culture.  The findings were as follows: Female leaders at Retail-MX face unique challenges, including a lack of self-awareness, a preference for data-driven sustainability approaches, and a focus on long-term planning. The organizational culture supports a people-led, inclusive environment, but structural and cultural obstacles hinder women's career progression. Despite differing views on the urgency of sustainability—female leaders advocate for significant investments and immediate action. These findings led to revisions in the tentative theoretical model, resulting in the proposed theoretical model. This thesis concludes by highlighting practical, and theoretical, implications to provide actionable guidance for management at Retail-MX to assist in implementing sustainable practices within their teams.

Trots att det finns indikationer att egenskaper som är vanligt förekommande bland svenska chefer kan relateras till aspekter som återfinns i studier om hållbart ledarskap finns det ingen forskning som undersöker denna typ av ledarskap i Sverige och bland svenska ledare. Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva det svenska hållbara ledarskapet. Genom en kvalitativ ansats har vi samlat in data i form av artiklar och texter för att ge svar på hur det svenska hållbara ledarskapet beskrivs och vad de mest förekommande aspekterna är när svenska chefer talar om sig själva som hållbara. Resultatet visar att det svenska hållbara ledarskapet syftar till att vara ekonomiskt, socialt och ekologiskt hållbar, samt innovativ och att ledare ser och involverar sina anställda. Överlag beskrivs inte svenska chefer som hållbara. Vissa vd:ar arbetar aktivt med social och ekologisk hållbarhet och många besitter egenskaper som är typiska för hållbart ledarskap men inte i tillräcklig utsträckning för att definieras som hållbara ledare. / Although there are indications that typical characteristics of Swedish managers can be related to aspects found in sustainable leadership studies, there is no research that examines this kind of leadership in Sweden and among Swedish leaders. The purpose of this study is to describe the Swedish sustainable leadership. Through a qualitative approach, we have collected and analysed data in form of articles and texts to provide answers to how the Swedish sustainable leadership is described and what the most common aspects are when Swedish managers talk about themselves as sustainable. The results show that the Swedish sustainable leadership aims at being economically, socially and ecologically sustainable, innovative and that employees are being valued and seen. Overall, Swedish managers are not described as sustainable. Some CEOs work actively with social and ecological sustainability, and many possess characteristics that are typical of sustainable leadership, but not to a sufficient extent to be defined as sustainable leaders. Henceforth, the language of the essay is Swedish.

Sustainability must be integrated into our everyday world. To achieve that, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established. Some scholars agree that the SDGs are not enough. So, a new strategy is needed to conquer the challenges. More specifically, a new generation of leaders is needed to transform our world. This study, therefore, introduces the theory of leadership for sustainability. Educating leaders for sustainability lies in the hands of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In that context, this study compares two programmes focusing on leadership and sustainability at HEIs to discover how they prepare the leaders of tomorrow to implement more sustainability actions that contribute to achieving the SDGs. Adopting qualitative research, empirical data was collected from semi-structured interviews with alumni and the management teams of two programmes in Sweden and Germany. In line with the literature, findings show that programmes focusing on leadership and sustainability need to include learnings such as awareness, diverse views and perspectives, experiential learning, systemic thinking, critical assessment, reflection, and collaborative work to ensure knowledge and skill transfer. In addition, the findings emphasize the embedding of the programme, a coherent programme structure, well-matched content, great teachers, and small groups of diverse students to achieve learning outcomes and prepare future leaders sufficiently. The data demonstrate that despite perceiving content and learnings individually, students are equally prepared. The study outlines that programmes focusing on leadership and sustainability are a beginning and convenient possibility to educate future leaders for sustainability. Still, more action is needed to integrate sustainability further into our world.

The global challenges of our time are unprecedented and urgent action is needed. Transformational learning and leadership development are key leverage points for supporting society’s transition towards sustainability. Many even claim that learning on an individual, organisational and societal scale is required for society’s successful transitioning towards sustainability. However, in this relatively new field, practitioners, scholars and educators grapple with what best promotes transformational learning and with how to best design and operate learning experiences that truly build capacity for leadership for sustainability. The aim of this work was to establish an improved understanding of this and to find recommendations for practitioners and educators with ambitions to create systems change for sustainability by building the capacity of people to be sustainability leaders. As an educator and facilitator of sustainability work for over a decade, working at the crossroads of local government and community change, lecturing on leadership for sustainability in Australia and currently being embedded within the faculty of the Master’s in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) program in Sweden, I have rested this thesis firmly within an action-oriented transformations research paradigm in which the only way to understand a system is through a comprehensive collaborative attempt to change it. One case of action research explored an organisational change for sustainability program that spanned over five years in a local government in Perth, Western Australia and the learning and policy interventions that supported this change. Participant observation with field notes, interviews, surveys and document analysis were particular methods used in this case. Two further cases focused on the MSLS program and its practices and specific components that support such leadership development and transformational learning. Feedback surveys from students and an open question survey to alumni were key methods used in these cases. The findings suggest that community and relationships are essential for supporting and growing sustainability leadership capacity; that hope and agency are irreplaceable components for leading sustainability change; that self-reflection and dialogue are skills that will help sustainability leaders navigate complex and uncertain futures and that these can be learned. Findings also indicate that creating a shared language for sustainability work helps bridge disciplinary divides and practitioner silos, and that skills of dialogue are required to capitalise on participation. Also, the integration of the components of community, place, content, pedagogy and disorientation with hope and agency can help support transformation in sustainability leadership education and provide synergistic reinforcement of the sustainability transformation required. This thesis provides added evidence that learning can be a key leverage point for sustainability transformations in an organisation and suggests how such learning can be most effectively achieved through a conscious design of learning environments, including the use and integration of the mentioned components to improve sustainability leadership for impact in society.

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This thesis aims to understand the role of facilitated nature experiences for leadersas a step towards sustainability. Qualitative interviews were conducted with facilitators andparticipants of nature-based leadership programs (NBLP) and analyzed regarding 1) Transformative Learning Conditions, 2) Transformative Learning Outcomes, and 3) Professional Changes inspired by NBLP participation. Results show that facilitators foster Transformative Learning through six main conditions and that Transformative Learning ishappening as participants experience an increased understanding of interrelatedness within our socio-ecological system, change in worldviews, as well as realignment with purpose and gained confidence. Our findings indicate some evidence of professional changes after programcompletion that show potential to move society towards sustainability. The reconstruction of worldviews and increased human-nature connectedness depicts the potential for NBLP to address a deep leverage point that is highly effective for systemic change towards sustainability. Our research provides valuable insights for practitioners in the fields of education for sustainable development and sustainability leadership to increase both conscious and subconscious ecological systems understanding. The authors suggest NBLP should be further explored by decision-makers and researchers.

Lärande för hållbar utveckling (LHU) är ett ramverk som har skapats på global nivå för att främja hållbar utveckling (HU) på både global och lokal nivå. LHU innebär att integrera kunskaper och värderingar inom grundskolan som präglas av HU. För att elever ska kunna agera ansvarsfullt gentemot miljön syftar LHU att ge elever en förståelse för komplexa sociala och ekologiska samband för att potentiellt kunna lösa miljöproblem och i slutändan bidra till ett mer hållbart samhälle. LHU har införts i den svenska läroplanen som ett led i att säkerställa måluppfyllnad av Agenda 2030. Inom grundskolan har rektorer det övergripande ansvaret för att leda och samordna den pedagogiska verksamheten och forskning visar att rektorer är avgörande för att skapa en skolorganisation som ger en plattform för HU. Emellertid förekommer ett behov av organisationsutveckling inom svenska skolor avseende den pedagogiska verksamheten som knyter an till LHU. Med syfte att undersöka vilka drivkrafter som ligger bakom rektorers tillämpande av LHU undersöks därför rektorers uppfattningar om HU för att synliggöra hur LHU tillämpas inom skolan. Genom en kvalitativ ansats hölls intervjuer med sex skolledare på skolor i Skåne och med en kompletterande diskursanalys av nationella styrdokument kunde det konstateras att det förekommer skillnader i rektorernas syn på HU. Resultatet av denna studie visar att utmärkelser inte påverkar tillämpningen av LHU. Drivkraften bakom implementeringen av LHU synliggörs således snarare genom förändringsagenter, HL, investeringar i EMP och inre motivation. / Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a global framework to promote sustainable development (SD) on both a global and local level. The purpose of ESD is to integrate knowledge and values that embodies SD throughout the education system. To ensure students responsible engagement with the environment, ESD aims to give students an understanding of complex connections regarding both social and ecological aspects. ESD has been implemented in the Swedish curriculum to fulfill its obligations towards 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In elementary school the principal has the overall responsibility to lead and coordinate the pedagogical activities and research has shown that the principal is crucial in developing a platform for ESD within the school organization. However, in order to implement ESD there is a need in Sweden for organizational change within schools. In this study principal’s perception of SD are investigated with the purpose of gaining knowledge regarding the principal’s motivation for implementing ESD. Through a qualitative method six interviews were conducted with school leaders in Skåne and with a complementing discourse analysis of national governing documents, it could be concluded that there was a difference in perception of SD. The results of this study show that awards for ESD does not affect the implementation of ESD. Instead, the driving force for implementing ESD is rather shown in the presence of change agents, leadership for sustainability, investments in EMP and intrinsic motivation.

Cross-sector collaborations (CSCs) are crucial for addressing complex environmental, social, and economic challenges. Sustainability issues are multifaceted and require holistic solutions that leverage multiple stakeholders’ expertise, perspectives, resources, and networks. This research explores the effectiveness of CSCs for strategic sustainable development (SSD). It identifies conditions for effective sustainability-oriented CSCs, assesses the applicability of these findings to various contexts, and provides key considerations for newly forming CSCs and SSD practitioners. The research study was undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 examined cross-sector initiatives within the sustainable development field in Sweden and other parts of Europe. It explored how these CSCs operate effectively by examining their formation conditions, processes and structures, endemic tensions and conflicts, and accountabilities and outcomes using a conceptual framework. Data collection involved nine semi-structured interviews, which were analysed deductively to identify patterns based on these conditions. In phase 2, the findings from phase 1 were summarised and presented to SSD practitioners working with CSCs. This phase refined the nuances CSCs need to effectively apply a strategic sustainable development approach. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, and the findings were analysed inductively to pinpoint common themes. The research identified eight key considerations for SSD practitioners when working with CSCs toward sustainable development.