Dr. Vanessa TimmerExecutive Director, One Earth

Marquee Keynote

Sponsored by:

Leading Change: Taking Acting7 leadership learnings for waste reduction

Dr. Vanessa Timmer, PhDExecutive Director, One EarthSenior Research Fellow, Utrecht University

24 October 2019 – CWMA - Victoria, BC, CanadaCoast Waste Management Association Conference

14 August 2003

Toronto, Ontario

50 million people affected

Dr. Lewis AkenjiSEED, Adelphi

from consuming to living

seeing the system

Leading Change, Taking Action: 7 Learnings

1. Seeing the system

2. Fostering reflection, generative conversations

3. Co-creating the futureSource: Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, & John Kania Winter - The Dawn of Systems Leadership

4. Dancing with change, not creating change

5. Thinking like a movement

6. Engaging a diversity of players

7. Embracing uncertainty

Sources: Donella Meadows – Dancing with SystemsAl Etmanski – Impact: Six Patterns to Spread your Social Innovation

from consuming to living

evolving leadership theories

systems leadership & sustainable living

from consuming to living

evolving leadership theories

systems leadership & sustainable living

What can I do to take action on climate change / waste?

Collect and save waterSay no to junk mailChoose energy efficient lightsBuy used goodsWalk, bike, take transit, car poolUse natural cleaners…

Household consumption accounts for72% of global greenhouse gas emissions

sustainable behaviour is therefore essential in any intervention to tackle climate change, especially in high income countries.

Source: Dubois et al. 2019

consumption-based carbon emissions

C40 cities have a 60% larger carbon footprint than previously estimated

scale of emissions generated bythe urban consumption of everyday goods and services

Source: C40 March 2018

1.5 Degree Lifestyles:Targets and options for reducing lifestyle carbon footprints

February 2019

Housing Construction & DemolitionPaper, plastics, textiles wasteWasted Food…

We have heavily underestimated the challenge ahead of us.

And unfortunately there is a pattern where we are being looked at

As consumers

Rather than families, households, communities,

people who want to go about their everyday living.

- Dr. Lewis Akenji

remaining within our carbon budget requires

transformations in our ways of living

from consuming to living

Are we succeeding in solving major problems?

Are we creating more?

Margaret Wheatley, (2002) Supporting Pioneering Leaders as Communities of Practice: How to Rapidly Develop New Leaders in Great Numbers

If we believe that the old system cannot be repaired,

if we expect to see only more system failures,

then the work is not to fix.

Margaret Wheatley, (2002) Supporting Pioneering Leaders as Communities of Practice: How to Rapidly Develop New Leaders in Great Numbers

Instead, support needs to be given to

radically different processes and methods,

new systems based on new assumptions.

Margaret Wheatley, (2002) Supporting Pioneering Leaders as Communities of Practice: How to Rapidly Develop New Leaders in Great Numbers

from consuming to living

evolving leadership theories

systems leadership & sustainable living

Great Man Theory

18501869

Leader decides course of history

Leadership Theories - evolution

Evolution of Leadership Theory:https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ch-13-mgmt-150924010457-lva1-app6891/95/ch-13slides-12-638.jpg?cb=1443056790

Great Man Theory

18501869

Leader decides course of history

Traditional Theories

1900-1980

Traits – integrity, insight…Skills – problem-solving…Situational / Contextual / ContingencyPower and Influence

Leadership Theories - evolution

Evolution of Leadership Theory:https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ch-13-mgmt-150924010457-lva1-app6891/95/ch-13slides-12-638.jpg?cb=1443056790

Great Man Theory

18501869

Leader decides course of history

Traditional Theories

1900-1980

Traits – integrity, insight…Skills – problem-solving…Situational / Contextual / ContingencyPower and Influence

New Leadership Theories

1980s -present

Authentic leadershipServant leadershipEthical leadershipAdaptive leadershipTransformational leadershipSystems leadership

Leadership Theories - evolution

Evolution of Leadership Theory:https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ch-13-mgmt-150924010457-lva1-app6891/95/ch-13slides-12-638.jpg?cb=1443056790

Away from prediction / control / management / transactions

To adaptingframing key questions

inspiring / motivating based on valuesshaping new norms, roles, structures

Leading Change, Taking Action: 7 Learnings

1. Seeing the system

2. Fostering reflection, generative conversations

3. Co-creating the futureSource: Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, & John Kania Winter - The Dawn of Systems Leadership

4. Dancing with change, not creating change

5. Thinking like a movement

6. Engaging a diversity of players

7. Embracing uncertainty

Sources: Donella Meadows – Dancing with SystemsAl Etmanski – Impact: Six Patterns to Spread your Social Innovation

dancing, steering, nuturing

Source: John Robinson, University of TorontoDonella Meadows – Dancing with Systems

transformational change is here

Photo by lucas law on Unsplash

thinking like a movement

Source: Al Etmanski – Impact: Six Patterns to Spread your Social Innovation

leaders are everywhereself-organizingpower of small actscomplement each otherfollow the energy

engaging difference

inclusive, equity

Photo by Kamila Maciejewska on Unsplash

solidarity & belonging

Strong ties facilitate trust, motivation, and commitment

Weak ties broaden access to salient information, skills, and learning.

Leadership is accepting responsibility to create conditions that enable others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty.

– Marshall Ganz

traveler, there is no path, the path must be forged as you walk.

Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.

-Antonio Machado, Spanish poet

motivated by values

sustainabilityinclusiveness

wonder

Leading Change, Taking Action: 7 Learnings

1. Seeing the system

2. Fostering reflection, generative conversations

3. Co-creating the futureSource: Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, & John Kania Winter - The Dawn of Systems Leadership

4. Dancing with change, not creating change

5. Thinking like a movement

6. Engaging a diversity of players

7. Embracing uncertainty

Sources: Donella Meadows – Dancing with SystemsAl Etmanski – Impact: Six Patterns to Spread your Social Innovation

from consuming to living

evolving leadership theories

systems leadership & sustainable living

mappinggetting on the balcony

Source: Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, & John Kania WinterThe Dawn of Systems Leadership

seeing the system

evidence-base

Vancouver Footprint

better living

rather than guilt / negative framing

fostering reflection and generative conversations

Source: Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, & John Kania WinterThe Dawn of Systems Leadership

assumptionsreflection and action

assumption

behaviour change

Our ways of living are shaped by our:

identity, aspirations, social norms

societal context – physical layout, policies, markets, institutions, culture

habits and social practices

generative conversations

balance advocacy and inquiry

time scarcityvs.

abundance

affectscollaborationemotional intelligencestrategic solutions…

reflection - action

We have a propensity to prematurely rush into action, too often failing to take time for the kind of deep reflection necessary to clarify our goals, challenge our assumptions, and make sure we are all clear and aligned.

We can spend far too much energy paddling hard up stream, failing to take advantage of the currents going our way.

- Robert Gass

link footprints with wellbeing

co-creating futures

Source: Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, & John Kania WinterThe Dawn of Systems Leadership

beyond reactingto building positive visions

asking powerful questions

what if?

Imagine what sustainable livingcould look, feel, be like

when we imagine itwe can create it…

Leading Change, Taking Action: 7 Learnings

1. Seeing the system

2. Fostering reflection, generative conversations

3. Co-creating the futureSource: Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, & John Kania Winter - The Dawn of Systems Leadership

4. Dancing with change, not creating change

5. Thinking like a movement

6. Engaging a diversity of players

7. Embracing uncertainty

Sources: Donella Meadows – Dancing with SystemsAl Etmanski – Impact: Six Patterns to Spread your Social Innovation

thank youvanessa@oneearthweb.orgoneearthweb.org