Every leader needs to have good leadership skills that can drive and move the organization forward. The skills help them to provide sustainable leadership that brings immense success to the organization. Business organization leaders thus must use charismatic principles to achieve the company’s goals in the production and sales market. They also need the skills to manage the employees who in turn work best to offer better services to the customers. Bea Perez for example is one such leader with sustainable leadership skills. She advances sustainability strategy designed to grow the company as well as provide positive difference to the consumers, communities and the environment.
Sustainability Practices of Bea Perez
Bea Perez has led the company to start a water-replenishing program. The program ensures the water used by the company is not taken to waste but is replenished and supplied back to the communities around the Coca-Cola plant (Walsh " Dowding, 2012). This keeps the environment safe from pollution as well as avoids water wastage. In 2016 for example, the company continued to replenish 100percent water from the complete beverages. The program achieved 221billion liters of water being supplied back to the community (Walsh " Dowding, 2012). The company also runs water-shed projects that ensure much water used in the company is renewed and given back to the community.
Secondly, the company has facilitated sustainable agriculture program in connection with the water sustainability (Walsh " Dowding, 2012). According to Perez (2015), agriculture is the pillar on which the company is built. In return, they have to ensure agriculture sustainability across their supply chain. Most of the product ingredients used at the company are agricultural products hence sustainable agriculture does not only promote the global aims on agriculture but also assist the company to obtain sustainable supply from the farmers. In 2016, Perez through her sustainable leadership program launched a sustainable agriculture-sourcing map, which monitors how the company works to promote and achieve an improved sustainable agriculture practices within its supply chain. The map reflects over 90percent of the supply volume for each of the major 12 ingredients the company uses (Walsh " Dowding, 2012). The ingredients include sweeteners, coffee, tea, and fruits.
The company also runs a philanthropic foundation, which ensures it gives back to the supportive community. The products manufactured at the Coca-Cola are supplied to the consumers who are members in the society (Walsh " Dowding, 2012). Through the philanthropy, they offer support and assistants to the community in terms of education with an aim to alleviate poverty levels and empower the young people. in 2016 for example, the company together with the foundation donated $106million that was channeled in the company’s areas of concern and sustainability as grants-the women empowerment, water and support to communities. The grants were given to over 230 organizations across the globe in more than 200 countries (Perez, 2015).
Leadership Characteristics of Perez
Bea Perez is a leader with integrity. In her duty, she has never been accused of fund embezzlement although she manages much money. Besides, she communicates her plans clearly without hiding anything. She is transparent and likes honesty. Bea Perez always demonstrates high integrity by speaking her mind with conviction and truth.
She is also an effective speaker and communicator. Any kind of leadership requires one to have good communication skills because communication is the medium through which information can be properly disseminated (Lubin " Esty, 2010). Perez thus uses this skill especially during the conference meetings to outline her sustainable plans at the Coca-Cola Company and convinces the employees to support the plan (MacLean, 2011). Besides, it is through her communication skills that she has achieved proper management and team play at the company.
She also demonstrates the ability to empower others, women in particular (MacLean, 2011). Perez as a leader and a woman for that matter understands the need to empower women globally. She understands the position of women in leadership and the current global developmental goals. As a result, through her initiative to have a sustainable strategy in management, she gave women as a priority to her sustainable agenda at the company. She has since disbursed funds to support organizations that assist to empower women across the world.
Sustainable Area for Improvement
Bea Perez has tried to achieve sustainability in most of the prioritized areas. However, much needs to be done in terms of the environmental preservation. The company uses packaging materials that are both glass and plastics. The glass bottles are renewable hence help avoid the wastage and environmental pollution. On the contrary, the plastic bottles are not reused because the company has not made good recycling plan and plant. It is therefore advisable that the company prioritizes recycling of the plastic bottles as well or it should avoid using them in packaging.
Conclusion
All companies should adopt sustainable agenda because it shows the company’s concern to the consumers of their products and the environment from where they work. As the chief sustainable officer of the Coca-Cola Company, Perez has used her leadership skills, among them visionary, integrity, and effective communication, to facilitate the progress of the sustainable plan. Nevertheless, the company needs to do more in recycling their packaging materials in order to continue the sustainability leadership.
References
Lubin, D. A., " Esty, D. C. (2010). The sustainability imperative. Harvard business review, 88(5), 42-50.
MacLean, R. (2011). Identity crisis. Environmental Quality Management, 21(2), 105-112.
Perez, B. E. A. (2015). The power of sustainability to create shared value: Coca-Cola demonstrates that doing good is good for business. Journal of Brand Strategy, 3(4), 310-315.
Walsh, H., " Dowding, T. J. (2012). Sustainability and The Coca-Cola Company: The Global Water Crisis and Coca-Cola's Business Case for Water Stewardship. International Journal of Business Insights " Transformation, 4.
