______ _____ _ _ _____ _ _____ _ _ _ _
|____ | | __ \ | | | | / ____| | | / ____| | | (_) | | | |
/ / | |__) |___ | | ___ ___ | |_ ___ | | _ __ ___ __ _| |_ ___ | (___ _ _ ___| |_ __ _ _ _ __ __ _| |__ | | ___
/ / | _ // _ \| |/ _ \/ __| | __/ _ \ | | | '__/ _ \/ _` | __/ _ \ \___ \| | | / __| __/ _` | | '_ \ / _` | '_ \| |/ _ \
/ / | | \ \ (_) | | __/\__ \ | || (_) | | |____| | | __/ (_| | || __/ ____) | |_| \__ \ || (_| | | | | | (_| | |_) | | __/
/_/ |_| \_\___/|_|\___||___/ \__\___/ \_____|_| \___|\__,_|\__\___| |_____/ \__,_|___/\__\__,_|_|_| |_|\__,_|_.__/|_|\___|
_____
/ ____|
| (___ _ _ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
\___ \| | | |/ __/ __/ _ \/ __/ __|
____) | |_| | (_| (_| __/\__ \__ \
|_____/ \__,_|\___\___\___||___/___/
This is a COMPLETE SUMMARY of the book “7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success” by
Carola Wijdoogen. This document contains ALL CHAPTERS (1-10) of the book.
All important concepts and frameworks are included. Figures and tables from the book are
included as well to explain or visualize topics when needed. All images and tables are
copied directly from the book, unless stated otherwise.
The book contains a lot of examples from Carola’s experience as CSO of the NS (the
Netherlands’ biggest railway company). The examples have mostly been left out of the
summary because they were very relevant, but some examples have been generalised to
further explain some key concepts and theories.
If you are following the Corporate Social Responsibility course at the Universiteit van
Amsterdam, please also check out my other summaries for the course:
https://www.stuvia.nl/user/davidschouten
Good luck with your exams!
David
1 Introduction 2
2 The Networker 4
3 The Strategist 6
4 The Coordinator & Initiator 8
5 The Stimulator & Connector 10
6 The Mentor 12
7 The Innovator 14
8 The Monitor 16
9 Sustainability dynamics 19
10 Sustainability competencies 21
Book: 7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success
Book author: Carola Wijdoogen
Summary author: David Schouten ()
ISBN: 978-90-829497-4-2 (9789082949742)
ISBN E-book: 978-90-829497-5-9 (9789082949759)
1
,1 Introduction
The book describes what the added value of a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)1 or
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) manager is for a company, when they are needed
and when they are deemed effective.
Sustainability managers can take on one or
several roles which are used to answer the central
questions. Each role is linked to the specific CSR
or sustainability activities they should perform.
The roles managers take on evolve over time: an
organisation just starting its sustainability journey
will have different needs and wishes than another
company.
The book’s author worked as CSO at NS, the
Dutch largest rail transportation company. She
often uses examples of her time there in the book,
but these have been generalised in the summary.
The figure to the right and the table below summarize the 7 roles and their main functions.
Roles Description of the role
1 Networker Create and maintain networks around the sustainability
Engage and grow the field and the organization’s sustainability program.
network Representing the company and its program in meetings
with external stakeholders, peers and other parties. This
is all about engaging the relevant stakeholders.
2 Strategist Develop the sustainability strategy and integrate this into
Lead for strategy the overall strategy of the organization. This is all about
creating a vision and mission.
3 Coordinator and Initiator Support people in other departments in the organization
Support and catalyze to implement the sustainability strategy using the
implementation governance/organizational structure. You work with
many others to create an (integrated) plan, to embed it
into the organization and to set things in motion. Initially it
might include starting up iconic projects yourself.
4 Stimulator and Connector Act as a sustainability ambassador, inspiring (outside-in)
Challenge to inspire and and activating others to integrate sustainability goals into
connect tasks, usually without formal influence. This is all about
generating support within the organization.
5 Mentor On an individual functional level: advise, inform and
Empower others for train colleagues, to enable them to achieve the
success sustainability goals. This is all about translating
1
The book continually mentions “CSO, CSR or sustainability manager”. For simplicity’s sake, I have
only used “CSO” in the summary (except when talking explicitly about one of the roles, of course)
7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success summary by David Schouten ()
2
, sustainability to the daily reality of the workplace of each
team.
6 Innovator Initiating and guiding innovation processes, so the ideas
Innovate for continuous and innovations can come to life and lead to
renewal implementation of sustainable business models, products
and services. This role is all about embedding
sustainability in innovation processes and initiating and
coaching innovation projects.
7 Monitor In the monitoring role, your monitor, report and evaluate
Learn from reporting the progress of the sustainability goals and the related
and/or information development of the organization. You collect, interpret
and act upon relevant information. This roll is all about
(proactively) measurement, reporting and improvement.
7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success summary by David Schouten ()
3
|____ | | __ \ | | | | / ____| | | / ____| | | (_) | | | |
/ / | |__) |___ | | ___ ___ | |_ ___ | | _ __ ___ __ _| |_ ___ | (___ _ _ ___| |_ __ _ _ _ __ __ _| |__ | | ___
/ / | _ // _ \| |/ _ \/ __| | __/ _ \ | | | '__/ _ \/ _` | __/ _ \ \___ \| | | / __| __/ _` | | '_ \ / _` | '_ \| |/ _ \
/ / | | \ \ (_) | | __/\__ \ | || (_) | | |____| | | __/ (_| | || __/ ____) | |_| \__ \ || (_| | | | | | (_| | |_) | | __/
/_/ |_| \_\___/|_|\___||___/ \__\___/ \_____|_| \___|\__,_|\__\___| |_____/ \__,_|___/\__\__,_|_|_| |_|\__,_|_.__/|_|\___|
_____
/ ____|
| (___ _ _ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
\___ \| | | |/ __/ __/ _ \/ __/ __|
____) | |_| | (_| (_| __/\__ \__ \
|_____/ \__,_|\___\___\___||___/___/
This is a COMPLETE SUMMARY of the book “7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success” by
Carola Wijdoogen. This document contains ALL CHAPTERS (1-10) of the book.
All important concepts and frameworks are included. Figures and tables from the book are
included as well to explain or visualize topics when needed. All images and tables are
copied directly from the book, unless stated otherwise.
The book contains a lot of examples from Carola’s experience as CSO of the NS (the
Netherlands’ biggest railway company). The examples have mostly been left out of the
summary because they were very relevant, but some examples have been generalised to
further explain some key concepts and theories.
If you are following the Corporate Social Responsibility course at the Universiteit van
Amsterdam, please also check out my other summaries for the course:
https://www.stuvia.nl/user/davidschouten
Good luck with your exams!
David
1 Introduction 2
2 The Networker 4
3 The Strategist 6
4 The Coordinator & Initiator 8
5 The Stimulator & Connector 10
6 The Mentor 12
7 The Innovator 14
8 The Monitor 16
9 Sustainability dynamics 19
10 Sustainability competencies 21
Book: 7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success
Book author: Carola Wijdoogen
Summary author: David Schouten ()
ISBN: 978-90-829497-4-2 (9789082949742)
ISBN E-book: 978-90-829497-5-9 (9789082949759)
1
,1 Introduction
The book describes what the added value of a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)1 or
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) manager is for a company, when they are needed
and when they are deemed effective.
Sustainability managers can take on one or
several roles which are used to answer the central
questions. Each role is linked to the specific CSR
or sustainability activities they should perform.
The roles managers take on evolve over time: an
organisation just starting its sustainability journey
will have different needs and wishes than another
company.
The book’s author worked as CSO at NS, the
Dutch largest rail transportation company. She
often uses examples of her time there in the book,
but these have been generalised in the summary.
The figure to the right and the table below summarize the 7 roles and their main functions.
Roles Description of the role
1 Networker Create and maintain networks around the sustainability
Engage and grow the field and the organization’s sustainability program.
network Representing the company and its program in meetings
with external stakeholders, peers and other parties. This
is all about engaging the relevant stakeholders.
2 Strategist Develop the sustainability strategy and integrate this into
Lead for strategy the overall strategy of the organization. This is all about
creating a vision and mission.
3 Coordinator and Initiator Support people in other departments in the organization
Support and catalyze to implement the sustainability strategy using the
implementation governance/organizational structure. You work with
many others to create an (integrated) plan, to embed it
into the organization and to set things in motion. Initially it
might include starting up iconic projects yourself.
4 Stimulator and Connector Act as a sustainability ambassador, inspiring (outside-in)
Challenge to inspire and and activating others to integrate sustainability goals into
connect tasks, usually without formal influence. This is all about
generating support within the organization.
5 Mentor On an individual functional level: advise, inform and
Empower others for train colleagues, to enable them to achieve the
success sustainability goals. This is all about translating
1
The book continually mentions “CSO, CSR or sustainability manager”. For simplicity’s sake, I have
only used “CSO” in the summary (except when talking explicitly about one of the roles, of course)
7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success summary by David Schouten ()
2
, sustainability to the daily reality of the workplace of each
team.
6 Innovator Initiating and guiding innovation processes, so the ideas
Innovate for continuous and innovations can come to life and lead to
renewal implementation of sustainable business models, products
and services. This role is all about embedding
sustainability in innovation processes and initiating and
coaching innovation projects.
7 Monitor In the monitoring role, your monitor, report and evaluate
Learn from reporting the progress of the sustainability goals and the related
and/or information development of the organization. You collect, interpret
and act upon relevant information. This roll is all about
(proactively) measurement, reporting and improvement.
7 Roles to Create Sustainable Success summary by David Schouten ()
3
