Amid uncertainty about how President-Elect Donald Trump’s administration will address climate change and the Paris Agreement struck last spring, many of those concerned about climate change are debating how to move forward, both within and outside the political arena.
McIntire Management Professor Tom Bateman, who directs the School’s Leadership Minor and studies proactivity and what it takes to accomplish extremely long-term goals, offers insight into leadership strategies that are not only effective, but required when facing complex issues like climate change.
“Taking on and beating climate change has to be more than a top-down initiative,” Bateman says. “Look for problems you are interested in, and instead of waiting and hoping someone else will take care of it, make the first step yourself. More often than not, the first step is simply to initiate a conversation.”