Episode 18. Mike Shriberg on How Sustainability Leadership is Modern Leadership

Hey there,

I’ve got another exciting episode of the Sustainability Skill Set podcast to share with you!

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Mike Shriberg, a professor of practice and engagement at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, and the director of the University of Michigan Water Center. Mike has spent his career at the intersection of academia, advocacy, and leadership development working to prepare the next generation of sustainability professionals for the real-world challenges they will face.

Mike’s work is grounded in a simple but powerful insight: sustainability leadership is modern leadership. Our field is constantly changing, uncertain, and complex, which means success depends less on memorizing content and more on developing the process skills that help us adapt, collaborate, and lead.

In this episode, we dig into Mike’s research on how well higher education is preparing students for sustainability careers. We talk about the gap between theory and practice, why project-based and reflective learning are so critical, and how universities can better partner with organizations to give students meaningful, real-world experience.

Mike also shares what he’s learned about how skills shift across a career, why the most successful professionals are self-reflective, and how to stand out in interviews by showing not just what you know, but how you think.

If you’ve ever wondered what sustainability leadership really means, how to prepare yourself for a career in this dynamic field, or how higher education can evolve to meet the moment, this conversation is full of insight.

Here’s what I found most interesting:

1. Sustainability leadership is modern leadership.

Mike has a phrase I love: sustainability leadership is modern leadership. What he means is that our field lives in constant change, uncertainty, and complexity, and that is what leadership in every sector now looks like. Good leaders are not those who execute a fixed playbook. They are those who adapt, communicate, and collaborate to solve challenges no one has solved before. Sustainability leadership adds something more: the mindset of managing for multiple objectives at once, not just profit, but also people and planet. That is harder, and it requires trade-offs, but it also makes leadership more resilient and more relevant for the long term. In the end, sustainability leadership is about long-term strategy and managing complexity with a broader view of what success means.

2. Many sustainability education programs fall short in providing students with hands-on experience and ‘soft skills’.

What stood out most to me is how much students love their sustainability leadership programs, yet how often those programs fall short in preparing them for the realities of the job market. Mike’s research shows that graduates consistently say the skills that matter most in the field are collaboration, communication, and only then technical expertise. What this tells us is that while content knowledge is important, it will not get us very far without the ability to work with people and lead teams. Mike explained that the way to build these skills is not through lectures, but through project-based experiences where faculty act as coaches and mentors. Just as important is leaving room for reflection, so students can make sense of what they are learning and strengthen their ability to adapt. The professionals who thrive in this field are not those who know the most facts, but those who are most self-reflective and can learn the fastest.

3. Practitioner partnerships matter for sustainability leadership programs.

Another insight Mike shared is that the strongest sustainability leadership programs do not exist in isolation. They bring in people from outside academia who are working at the forefront of the field. But this is not as simple as inviting any company to sponsor a project. The key is building relationships where expectations are aligned, so the experience benefits both the students and the organizations involved. When that structure is missing, projects can fall flat. When it is present, students get a window into real-world challenges, and organizations benefit from fresh ideas and committed talent.

4. The skills most necessary in a sustainability career change over time.

One of the most useful things I learned is how the skills we need change as our careers progress. Early on, technical skills are critical. They get us hired and give us credibility. But as we move forward, it becomes clear that what really determines advancement are leadership skills: teamwork, project management, collaboration, and the ability to influence others. In other words, hard skills open doors, but soft skills keep us progressing in our careers. If we never develop those leadership skills, our growth will eventually stall.

5. Stand out in interviews by showing how you think, not just what you know.

Mike also gave great advice on what it takes to shine in interviews. Employers are not only looking for what we know, but how we think. The best way to demonstrate that is to tell stories that show our approach to solving problems, building teams, or navigating challenges. Even if we are early in our careers, experiences from school projects, clubs, or sports can provide powerful examples. What matters is showing, not just telling, that we can think strategically, adapt quickly, and learn from experience.

6. Drive progress by seeing barriers as opportunities.

Finally, Mike and I discussed the power of a simple framing for overcoming challenges, which is asking yourself a simple but profound question: “Why has this not happened yet?” This question helps us focus on addressing the major barriers to progress and shifts our mindset from frustration to possibility. Instead of seeing challenges as permanent obstacles, we can treat them as prompts for new solutions. That mindset is central to sustainability work, because the challenges are complex, the stakes are high, and progress often comes from turning friction into fuel for innovation.

If these topics resonate with you, listen to the full episode and share it with a colleague who would also be interested. Your support helps more people discover the show.

Wishing you the best,

Louis DeMaso

P.S. Feel free to hit that reply button anytime. I would love to hear from you.