I have always been quite cynical about ESG and CSR initiatives from companies. They always struck me as 'Do as I say, not what I do'.

My favorite examples include a 'Big Oil' company preferring suppliers with a 'green' supply chain, a Financial Services companies directly contributing to the Euro crisis but giving their employees an afternoon off to paint schools in derelict areas 'to give back to society', companies that started 'recalibrating' their DEI efforts in the aftermath of the last presidential election in the US, and ESG leaders flying en masse to conferences in New York to discuss how make the world a more sustainable place.

Sander Tideman is founder of Triple Value Leadership. A former international lawyer and finance executive, he is a specialist in leadership development and organizational transformation, motivated by building the capacity to address the unprecedented social and ecological challenges of this age.

In the 31th episode of the Leadership 2.0 podcast, I interview Sander about the question if and how organizations and our society should adopt ESG and CSR concepts.

During our conversation, we discussed the following topics:

1. The Growth Triangle
2. What would happen if companies did not consider their environmental and societal impact as 'for free'
3. Greenwashing: Why should we take ESG and CSR seriously?
4. The (in) capacity of Public Companies to address ESG issues
5. Do we not make it too easy for companies to transfer their burden to our society?
6. The Development Stages of ESG in organisations
7. The link between CSR and Business Results
8. Best Practice Companies
9. The Adoption of CSR by B2B companies
10. Resilient Companies
11. What is Triple Value Leadership?
12. The Regenerative Capacity of Mankind
13. Integrating Triple Value Leadership in Executive Coaching
14. The Current Status and Outlook of CSR
15. Final Thoughts

► About Sander

Sander Tideman is a researcher, author, entrepreneur and executive coach in sustainable leadership. He works with leaders to build flourishing organizations equipped to address the unprecedented challenges of today. He has worked for and consulted with leading organizations on three continents.

A former international lawyer, senior finance executive and board member of companies and NGOs, he is the founding director at Triple Value Leadership. He is also executive director of Garrison Institute International and a Senior Faculty member of Mobius Executive Leadership in Boston and Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, in the Netherlands.

Sander started his career in 1986 by practicing law at Baker & McKenzie (Amsterdam and Taipei office). In 1989 he turned to international finance by becoming Country Director for ABN AMRO Bank in China (responsible for offices in Beijing and Shanghai), Vice President Structured Finance at ABN AMRO Bank in Amsterdam and Regional Manager Eastern Europe and Asia for Triodos Bank. As a consultant he worked on assignments for UNDP, The World Bank/IFC and the Asian Development Bank.  

He co-founded and managed Spirit in Business (Massachusetts), worked for Teleos Leadership Institute (Philadelphia), co-founded and managed the Global Leaders Academy (London/Amsterdam), co-founded the Bridge Fund Europe and served as CEO of Mind & Life Europe (Switzerland). He also served on the executive board of the Netherlands Council for Sustainable Development/NCDO. The government of Bhutan asked him to co-create the first international conference on Gross National Happiness in Bhutan, which spearheaded a global movement in well-being economies.

► Book: 'Triple Value Leadership: Creating Su

Any questions or comments? Press this link and send me a message!