Sustainability transformation: five books to inspire you

IMD professors recommend books to help you think differently about the challenges posed by sustainable business transformation.

Radical Collaboration – Five essential skills to overcome defensiveness and build successful relationships  

James Tamm and Ronald J Luyet 

Ask any leader who drives sustainability transformation if collaboration is important, you will get a sounding “yes”. Ask if collaboration is working well within his or her organization and with outside stakeholders, the answer will be much more pessimistic. Radical Collaboration is a “how to” guide for building effective collaboration in and outside the organization. Sustainability transformation is dependent on strong collaboration – not only within organizations but also with external stakeholders. Without it, building competitive advantages based on sustainability is impossible. Radical Collaboration is an important guide to taking collaboration seriously and putting it at the heart of the upskilling initiatives needed for sustainable business transformation.   

Florian Hoos, Professor of Sustainability and ESG Accounting 

Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World

Katharine Hayhoe 

The “knowing-doing gap” is perhaps the most significant climate-related challenge we face today. The concept explains a situation where we have plenty of knowledge (through science and our own experiences) to assess the challenge, but still do not act forcefully enough. This can be applied to climate change: despite our increased knowledge, inaction is the real enemy. The book by Hayhoe, a reputable climate scientist known for her ability to communicate complex concepts, is among the most important on the subject so far. Her message is clear: it matters how we talk about climate change and who we talk to. There is always a way towards mutual understanding. She uses anecdotes – positive and negative – about bridging the knowing-doing gap, provides real-life examples of conversations, and reveals our dilemmas. Hopefully, Saving Us can help us to engage in better dialogue and more aligned action. 

Knut Haanaes, Professor of Strategy and Lundin Sustainability Chair