ABSTRACT
Personal leadership is needed to develop organizations into more sustainable ones. Managers are the first to fulfill the leadership role. They are responsible for the results of projects, control the progress of production, and treat the people who work for them. An innovation leader is able to include sustainability as an objective in the projects, production processes, and the work of employees. Managers’ initiative and support is a requirement for aiming at sustainability goals. Managers have an overview of the company and are the ones to identify what sustainability issues add to the operating result. They can explain to employees what behaviors lead to sustainable improvements and they discuss with other managers the sustainability objectives of the company. In addition, they communicate the firm’s sustainability policy to the outside world. They determine the position of the company in relation to the protection and development of the environment. In short, a manager who has to guide and steer a sustainable innovation process needs substantial leadership competence and a broad repertoire of leadership skills (Chakrabarti, 1974; Hauschildt and Kirchmann, 2001; Jung et al., 2008; Kim et al., 1999; Krause, 2004; Lloréns Montes et al., 2005; Roberts and Fusfeld, 1981).
