Workshop "Leadership for Sustainability" presented by Dr. Fumiko Noguchi (UNU-IAS) at the 2021 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme, 16 September, 2021.

1. Leadership for Sustainability
ProSPER.NET Leadership Programme 2021
‘Climate Change: Global issues, local actions and transdisciplinary solutions’
Day 3
16th September 2021
Fumiko Noguchi (UNU-IAS)

2. https://theapprenticeacademy.co.uk/blog/eight-qualities-great-leaders/

3. A good leader
Is he/she a good leader for sustainability too?
https://keyword-hero.com/

4. Understanding the nature of
sustainable development issues

5. Interlinkages of
problems and SDGs

6. Sustainability
challenges
Figure adapted from Rittel & Webber (1973). Dilemmas
in a General Theory of Planning. IN Potter (2019)
+ COVID 19

7. Era of complexity
and uncertainity
COVID-19 (health,
unpredictable trajectory,
insufficiency in medical
infrastructure, expanding
socio-economic and education
gap – many are left behind.)
Existing sustainable challenges
(climate change, loss of
biodiversity, peace, gender,
poverty…)
Question “Do we want to go
back to where we used to be
before the pandemic? OR Do
we want to create a better
society for a post-COVID
world?”
The common (familiar)
approach, way of thinking and
understanding may not be
effective.

8. Common scientific thinking process for problem solution
Deductive Process
Make assumption based on “majour
premises”
1. Theme and question setting
based on literature review
(theory)
2. Making assumption
3. Developing methodological
approach
4. Collecting data
5. Data analysis
6. Discussion based on data analysis
and literature
7. Conclusion
Underpinned with Syllogism
Example Does Fumiko die?
1.Majour Premise: Common
Phenomena（People die）
2.Minor Premise: Define a
concrete fact (Fumiko is a
human-being.)
3.Conclusion: Extracted from
majour and minor premises
（Fumiko dies one day.)
8

9. Common thinking and majour
premises are not applicable to the
solution for wicked problems
Need to go beyond majour premises
• Need to question the majour
premises itself
• Need to change the order of
thinking process.
• The searching process can be
started with a local event, which
leads to construction of
assumption (Inductive process)
and theory.
9
Deductive Process
Make assumption based on “common
understanding”
1. Theme and question setting
based on literature review
(theory)
2. Making assumption
3. Developing methodological
approach
4. Collecting data
5. Data analysis
6. Discussion based on data analysis
and literature
7. Conclusion

10. “The problems
that exist in
the world
today cannot
be solved by
the level of
thinking that
created them.”
Albert Einstein
Our common way of thinking and views
are not effective.
Adaptive approach is needed for an
effective and realistic solution. (Kingsford
2017, Stankey 2005)
Being adaptive requires the understanding
of complexity and depth of issues that link
to multiple causes and impacts.
Multistakeholder participation in planning,
designing, implementing and evaluation of
the prototype is important. Therein they can
share the experiences, knowledges and
concerns. = Co-learning process = Education
for Sustainable Development

11. 4 points to be considered
for the multistakeholder-
partnership in a local
community
= Credentials for a leader for
sustainability

12. Point 1:
Identify the
stakeholders
It is important to know:
• How they relate to the
issue.
• Position, distance and
temperature over the issue
• Make sure to identify who
are the most disadvantaged
and vulnerable in a
community

13. Point 2: Understand that people
frame the same problem in a
very different way.
• The act of framing can be
characterised as a process by which
actors construct and represent
meaning to understand a particular
event, process or occurrence.
• Faming occurs when people with
different knowledge, experiences and
personal backgrounds consider a
common challenge and attempt to
make sense of it from their individual
or organisational perspectives.
• Framing occurs at a meta-level (public
discourses), a conceptual (theory)
level and an operational level
(practice).
(McEvoy et al. 2013)

14. Point 3:
Understand
that there
are issues of
power
Power imbalance exists not
only between stakeholders
but also their knowledges
and their way of learning the
problem.

15. Factors that create a power imbalance
Common values that make
people think ‘Researchers,
governments or anyone
with high social status are
always right’
Common value that make
people think ‘Something
urban and modern is
better’
Common value that make
people look down on
tradition, traditional
peoples, and their way of
life.
Common value to look up
to those with high
academic career (PhD,
Master, Bachelor etc.)
Traditional values that do
not allow female, LGBTQ,
ethnic/indigenous and
children/youth to say
something.
Even when multistakeholders can sit on the same discussion
table, some people may feel uncomfortable to or cannot
express their opinions.

16. Modern scientific Local/traditional/indigenous
Explanatory /
Purposive
Observatory / Process
General Contextual
Explicit Tacit
Verbal/Cognitive Embodied/sensual/Non-cognitive
Syllogism Holistic

18. Point 4: The one who can
‘translate’ languages and go
across different ways of
understanding and paradigms,
plays important role.
• Role of facilitation, coordination and conflict
resolution
• Good and careful listener with empathy,
rather than ‘let me talk first’ type of person
• Ability to link policy, practice and relevant
research
Photo: Fumiko Noguchi 2018

19. Problem
The government is
planning to
construct the over
15m-high sea walls
alongside the
coastal tsunami
affected area of a
big earthquake.
In this area, people
lived in traditional
communities based
on livelihoods such
as small-scale
fisheries.
Questions
• Who will be the stakeholders of
this development plan?
• Who are the vulnerable groups
and why?
• What will be the potential
conflicts between the
stakeholders
• How can you overcome?