Beth Knight - Reflections on Sustainable Leadership

Update: 2024-06-04

Description

Cathleen interviews Beth Knight, a trailblazer in social impact and sustainability. She shares her profound journey from facing burnout while leading innovative projects at Amazon to her current mission as a sustainability advisor and board chair for Save the Children's corporate advisory board. Together, they delve into the essence of sustainable leadership emphasising integrity, well-being, and creating long-term value for people and the planet.

Tune in as Beth Knight and Cathleen O'Sullivan discuss leading with purpose in today's complex world.

Episode Timeline:

05:14 Transitioned from Amazon to sustainability advisory work.
08:26 Assisting a Ukrainian family member's journey to the UK.
10:58 Grateful for privilege, learning to say no.
14:58 Sustainable leadership is about a holistic, energising approach.
20:28 Balancing career and family leads to fulfilment.
21:52 Encouragement and listening are powerful for impact.
27:48 System broken, challenges in sustainability, and inequality.
30:14 Eco anxiety about unsustainable systems.
34:27 Respectful tourism breaks cultural and wealth barriers.
38:21 Colonial framing, and expanding protected cultures.
40:25 Act of kindness on the bus profoundly impacted someone.
45:57 Sustainability roles are complex, in-demand, and are evolving.
55:09 Encouraging ethical consumerism and companies' environmental accountability.

Key Takeaways:

Recognising and Addressing Burnout: Beth Knight shared her firsthand experience with burnout and her decision to leave Amazon, emphasising the importance of recognising early signs of exhaustion. She discussed how high demands, constant stakeholder engagement, and maintaining a leadership brand can lead to significant stress.
Sustainable Leadership and Personal Well-being: How to create long-term value without exhausting oneself or others. Beth defined sustainable leadership as one that focuses on integrity, value creation, and well-being from an environmental, social, and governance perspective.
Systemic Support and Ethical Practices: Both Cathleen and Beth stress the importance of systemic support in sustainable leadership, including family, organisational, and community environments. They underscore that personal well-being and professional success are intertwined with a supportive system that fosters growth and sustainability.

ABOUT BETH KNIGHT

Beth Knight is a leading figure in social impact and sustainability with over fifteen years' experience in purpose-led business transformation. Named 'Great British Businesswoman of the Year' in 2022, her expertise spans tech-for-good, sustainable development and impact investing. Beth is a frequent speaker, advisor and coach on mobilising the private sector around climate change, social justice and upskilling on sustainability. She is a Senior Associate and Head Tutor at the University of CambridgeInstitute of Sustainability Leadership ('CISL') and holds non-executive positions - ranging from Department for Culture Media & Sports ('DCMS') British Tourism Authority, to Chair of Save the Children’s corporate advisory board, to Tech Domain Expert for Carbon13’s venture builder. Beth's held roles at Amazon, EY and Accenture. She was also a trailblazer of the UK's Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Apprenticeship standard.

Connect:

Website: www.sustainableleaders.ltd

Social Media Links:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/beth-knight/

Twitter: twitter.com/bethzknight

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bethzknight/

Pinterest: www.pinterest.co.uk/bethzknight/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethzknight/ :

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Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: cathleenmerkel.com

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com