Wicked Leadership for Sustainable Business Development

This conceptual paper aims to highlight the nature of leadership required for sustainable business development where sustainable development is considered a wicked problem. In understanding the contexts, business leaders need to know the nature of the problems, stakeholders need to be engaged and the recommended processes to deal with the issues need to be collectively agreed upon. This paper proposes that successful business sustainability could only be achieved through a systems approach endeavouring to balance the needs of the current customers and simultaneously ensuring the livelihood of the future generations. Key mechanism used by successful leaders to advance this goal include developing sustainable networks and collaborations with effective, design thinking and monitoring and evaluation systems that enhance sustainable development through innovation and creativity. Wicked leaders are adept in utilising these tools to ensure business sustainability in that they themselves are transforming within the sustainability paradigm to care, comply, concede and collaborate. These values propel the wicked leader beyond the transformative, transaction and visionary leaders.