As sustainability evolves, leaders in the field will need new skills in order to advance their ideas. The University of Cambridge's Programme for Sustainability Leadership recently published The State of Sustainability Leadership in 2011, which describes seven attributes sustainability leaders should possess:

• Systematic interdisciplinary understanding;
• Emotional intelligence and a caring attitude;
• Possesses values that shapes culture;
• A strong vision for making a difference;
• An inclusive style that engenders trust;
• A willingness to innovate and be radical, and;
• A long-term perspective on impacts.

http://www.governing.com/columns/mgmt-insights/becoming-sustainability-leader.html