Strategy and Leadership for Grand Societal Challenges: Bridging Theory and Practice

Strategy and Leadership for Grand Societal Challenges: Bridging Theory and Practice offers a thorough examination of grand challenges (GCs), addressing the origins and impacts of these global issues while outlining practical solutions.

Through a blend of theoretical exploration and real-world case studies, this book reveals how businesses, governments, and organizations can strategically approach GCs to foster societal progress. It presents a toolkit for addressing GCs, focusing on key areas like multi-stakeholder collaboration, innovative business models, and responsible innovation. Readers will gain insights into ethical and transformative leadership and the importance of open strategizing, which prioritizes transparency, inclusivity, and socially aligned decision-making. Practical guidance and theoretical frameworks equip leaders to navigate the complex and sometimes paradoxical aspects of GCs, helping them drive meaningful, sustainable impact.

This book is essential reading for academics, researchers, and advanced students in the fields of business management, leadership studies, and public policy, especially those focused on addressing complex societal issues through strategic frameworks. It also offers valuable insights for scholars investigating the intersections of ethics, responsible innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. While practitioners and policymakers may find actionable strategies within its pages, scholars and professionals alike will benefit from its rigorous theoretical foundation and empirical case studies.

Alice Erthal is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Leadership at Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil.

Douglas Wegner is a Professor of Collaborative Strategies at Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil.