Leadership Energy Awareness Program (LEAP)

Sustainability initiatives bear the ability to reap both direct and indirect benefits, but often face obstacles in getting business employees engaged in using less energy, water, and materials. To formulate a difference and provide direction, as a clear image of the preferred future, or a force that provides meaning and purpose, engaging and energizing business employees is a must. Therefore, the framework of this paper focuses on a project journey, engaging and collaborating with employees through a new sustainability leadership initiative called Leadership Energy Awareness Program (LEAP). LEAP is about making lasting, sustainability-oriented organizational changes as well as encouraging a change in attitudes, behaviors and mindsets of employees, all with the goal of becoming sustainability champions.
Through the LEAP program, the sustainability champions educate their workforce on the business case for sustainability. They also empower their workforce to support implementation of sustainability in their daily jobs, and encourage a culture of sustainable practices. They do this by introducing LEAP into their job descriptions, performance reviews, and through team meetings. LEAP also seeks to initiate and encourage a culture of sustainable practices within any organization. It’s important to engage and assist in the development of a sustainability champion’s inspiring employees to use less energy, water, materials, and other resources.
Therefore, the LEAP program assists businesses with their employees in recognizing a new paradigm of sustainable opportunities capturing the desire for more efficient use of resources. Simply put, LEAP is a business approach to creating long-term value by taking into consideration how a given organization operates in the sustainable environment using sustainability champions. In sum, LEAP is a journey in sustainability leadership.