Characteristics of Effective Sustainable Business Leadership

Characteristics of Effective Sustainable Business Leadership

Shalunda Lester

MGT/360

January 31, 2015

Jean Papa

Characteristics of Effective Sustainable Business Leadership

Intro

Nike is the biggest sportswear corporation in the world; they manufacture footwear, apparel, equipment and just about every sports accessory product imaginable. Hannah Jones is the Vice President of Sustainable Business & Innovation. She in charge of managing Nike’s social campaigns, responsible competitiveness, production, community investments, new media, social innovation, public affairs and product innovation ("Hannah Jones News", 2013).

Hannah Jones Personality Traits That Helped Her Led a Successful Implementation of New Practices at Nike

Hannah Jones has a unique background; she has done all types of work from production, new media, social campaigns, to public affairs. These positions have led her to sustainability initiatives at the largest retailer of athletic apparel and athletic footwear in the world ("Hannah Jones, Vice President, Sustainable Business And Innovation, Nike Inc", 2012). Hannah Jones always knew that she wanted to be a representative of social change and justice which later on broadened out to sustainability. She believes business have a moral imperative to think about its footprint. She believes that sustainability will be imperative for growth and not just an option or choice. She moved into the spotlight around the issue of sweatshops and working conditions in global supply chains in the early ’90s. Nike was one of the earliest brands to be under attack by NGOs in their effort to increase public awareness around these issues. Hannah Jones believes that every sole individual needs to consider his or her role in effecting change. Individual should have a real passion for this change challenge.

Hannah Jones Management Style That Helped Her Led a Successful Implementation of New Practices at Nike

Hannah Jones believes that you must be comfortable with constant change and have the ability to be flexible. She states that you should have a enormous ability to understand systems change and ultimately be experts to the business and know how to influence it. She believes that in order to propel business and society towards a more sustainable future we must focus on systems innovation, transparency and the sharing of tools and indexes ("How She Leads: Hannah Jones of Nike", 2012).

Hannah Jones Leadership Qualities That Helped Her Led a Successful Implementation of New Practices at Nike

Hannah Jones thrives on the challenge to redefine performance and unleash innovation. She recognizes that if we simply delivering incremental improvements we cannot achieve our goals for sustainability. Her aim is to create breakthroughs that are better for Nike’s athletes, investors, and that improve our world. Hannah Jones is flexible; she understands that everything does not always go as planned ("How She Leads: Hannah Jones of Nike", 2012). She is able to communicate by sharing her thoughts with employees. She has courage, patience and tenacity, she is able to stand alone, keep fighting until she win and wont succumb to pressure. She is responsible and humble. She has respect for her employees and when accolades are appropriate she share it with her employees.