Leadership for Sustainable Economic Growth: Integrating AI, Policy, and Global Collaboration

Abstract

Leadership in sustainability within the field of economics requires the ability to guide policies and strategies that prioritize environmental health, social equity, and long-term economic viability. This paper presents a framework for leadership that integrates the principles of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in identifying sustainability opportunities. Effective leaders must balance economic activities with their impacts on the environment and society, promote economic diversification, and advocate for sustainable practices through policy and regulation.The research employs an Integral Research methodology, combining descriptive, narrative, theoretical, experimental, and survey methods to explore leadership in sustainability. This approach considers the symbolic "four worlds"—South (nature and community), East (culture and spirituality), North (reason), and West (enterprise and structure)—which influence the values and behaviours of societies, organizations, and individuals.

Key elements of the proposed leadership framework include vision and strategy, innovation and adaptation, ethical decision-making, policy regulation, education and awareness, measurement and accountability, and crisis management. The framework also emphasizes the importance of global collaboration, such as the Paris Agreement, and the need for leaders to build resilient economic systems capable of adapting to climate change. Leadership in sustainability issues in economics should align economic growth with environmental stewardship. This can be achieved by strengthening policy frameworks, fostering transformational leadership, integrating ESG criteria, enhancing stakeholder engagement, promoting innovation, encouraging global collaboration, implementing transparent monitoring systems, and fostering consumer awareness for sustainable products.