This course teaches essential leadership orientations and effective approaches for advancing sustainability globally. It examines case studies and examples of leading change in the private sector, and in cross-sector collaborations involving government, business and non-profit organizations. The course teaches students the Connect, Adapt and Innovate (CAN) orientations and other skills which enhance students' ability to cultivate resilience and well-being in their lives and to lead change in complex systems. Strategies and approaches studied include B Corporations, social entrepreneurship, indigenous community-business collaborations, biomimicry, circular economy, sharing economy, corporate sustainability strategy, the UN sustainable development goals, metrics of progress beyond GDP, and transformative multi-stakeholder partnerships. Through conceptual frameworks, hands-on exercises, class discussion, reflection and interactions with sustainability leaders, students practice decision-making under uncertainty, systems thinking, resilience thinking and transformative leadership. Working in teams, students will apply their learnings in collaborative class projects. To help cultivate a highly engaged course community, please send responses to the following questions to Julia Novy (julia3@stanford.edu); admitted students will receive a permission code to be used for course enrollment. 1. What is one of the most significant challenges you've faced and how did you approach it? 2. What would you like to get out of this course? 3. What will you contribute?
3 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
This course teaches essential leadership orientations and effective approaches for advancing sustainability globally. It examines case studies and examples of leading change in the private sector, and in cross-sector collaborations involving government, business and non-profit organizations. The course teaches students the Connect, Adapt and Innovate (CAN) orientations and other skills which enhance students' ability to cultivate resilience and well-being in their lives and to lead change in complex systems. Strategies and approaches studied include B Corporations, social entrepreneurship, indigenous community-business collaborations, biomimicry, circular economy, sharing economy, corporate sustainability strategy, the UN sustainable development goals, metrics of progress beyond GDP, and transformative multi-stakeholder partnerships. Through conceptual frameworks, hands-on exercises, class discussion, reflection and interactions with sustainability leaders, students practice decision-making under uncertainty, systems thinking, resilience thinking and transformative leadership. Working in teams, students will apply their learnings in collaborative class projects. To help cultivate a highly engaged course community, please send responses to the following questions to Julia Novy (julia3@stanford.edu); admitted students will receive a permission code to be used for course enrollment. 1. What is one of the most significant challenges you've faced and how did you approach it? 2. What would you like to get out of this course? 3. What will you contribute?
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.