The Soft Skills That Will Fast-Track Your Sustainability Career

Introduction: Why It’s NOT About Technical Expertise

Let’s be honest—technical expertise is overrated. Not because it’s not important (of course it is), but because it’s not what makes or breaks your success in the corporate world.

This applies to almost every role, but especially to those leading projects, driving change, and managing sustainability initiatives. If you're a sustainability professional, you already know this: your job isn’t just about carbon accounting, ESG frameworks, or regulatory compliance. It’s about getting people to care, act, and change the way they work.

Think about it—how often do you actually use deep technical knowledge in a meeting? Compare that to how often you need to:
✅Explain your project’s purpose to management who care more about business impact than specifics.
✅ Get buy-in from internal teams who see sustainability as extra work.
✅ Convince colleagues to prioritize your initiative when they have other KPIs to hit.

That’s where soft skills come in.

You can be the expert in the room, but if you can’t explain, engage, and execute, your expertise won’t matter. That’s why mastering these three soft skills is critical for your career growth and success:

1️⃣ Communication & Presentation Skills – If you have a message, you need to clearly explain the why, what, who, and how of your work. This means breaking down complex topics, storytelling with impact, and making your ideas stick.

2️⃣ Stakeholder Management – Sustainability isn’t a one-person job. You must work across teams, engage the right people, and get support for your projects.

3️⃣ Time Management & Execution – Juggling multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholder demands is tough. Knowing how to manage your time, prioritize, and deliver results is key to standing out.

If you want to boost your career and ensure your success—no matter what technical expertise you have or where you are in your journey—these three soft skills are non-negotiable.

Let’s break them down. 🚀

1️⃣ Communication: The Skill That Can Make or Break Your Impact

Ever heard a recording of yourself and cringed so hard that you couldn’t even finish listening to it? You’re not alone.

When I decided to record my ESG Masterclass, I thought it would be simple. I knew my content inside out. But when I hit record, something strange happened—I hated my voice. I stumbled, over-explained things, and somehow lost the clarity I had in my head.

I ended up recording the first lecture at least 10 times before I realized:
1️⃣ You have to get used to hearing yourself.
2️⃣ You have to practice speaking to a camera like you’re talking to a person.
3️⃣ Great communication isn’t only about what you say—it’s about how you say it.

That’s when it clicked. Communication is a skill, not a talent. And like any skill, it can be trained and improved.

But Wait… We’re Not Trying to Be YouTubers!

I get it—most of us aren’t recording online courses or starting YouTube channels. But here’s the reality:

💡 In today’s world of remote work, where Teams, Zoom, and virtual meetings have become the norm, your ability to speak confidently on camera is a superpower.

Whether you're:
✅ Presenting an idea in a virtual meeting
✅ Explaining an ESG initiative to executives over Zoom
✅ Leading a sustainability workshop remotely

…how you communicate on video calls directly impacts how you are perceived.

The people who speak clearly, structure their points well, and engage others through a screen are the ones who get heard, trusted, and remembered.

So no—you don’t need to become a YouTuber. But you do need to master the skill of virtual communication if you want to drive impact in today’s business world.

What Exactly Makes Great Communication?

Most people think communication is just about speaking clearly. But it’s much more than that. It’s a combination of three things:

✅ Preparation – If you’re good at what you do and truly care, you’re already halfway there. The key is structuring your thoughts so your message is clear.

✅ Key Messages & Storytelling – Facts alone won’t inspire people. You need to structure your points with clarity, use storytelling to engage, and make sure your audience walks away with a strong takeaway.

✅ Delivery – This is where many struggle. It’s about tone, pauses, volume, pronunciation (especially if you work in a second or third language), and body language. The way you say something impacts how people perceive your confidence and credibility.

My Personal Challenge: RECORD & REVIEW

Recently, I realized I had a problem—I spoke in a constant tone and volume, avoided pauses, and filled silence with "umm" and "uhhh." No matter how good my content was, it didn’t sound confident.

That’s when I listened to an episode of The Diary of a CEO featuring Vinh Giang, a communication expert. He introduced a simple but powerful exercise:

📌 RECORD & REVIEW

1️⃣ Record yourself speaking on a topic.
2️⃣ The next day, do three audits:
🔹 Audio audit – How does your tone, pacing, and clarity sound?
🔹 Visual audit – How is your body language? Are you engaging or stiff?
🔹 Transcript audit – Would your speech still make sense if written down?

I started doing this daily for a week now—it takes about an hour of my time, but the improvement is already visible. Why do I do this:

🛑 A weak message, delivered powerfully, still sounds convincing.
✅ A strong message, delivered poorly, gets ignored.

Communication can change your life. If you want to drive sustainability initiatives, secure buy-in, and make an impact, you must simplify your message while keeping its strength.

Master communication, and you won’t just be heard—you’ll be remembered. 🚀

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2️⃣ Stakeholder Management: The Skill That Turns Resistance into Support

If you’ve ever read about stakeholder management, chances are you’ve seen a stakeholder matrix—mapping who to engage, how often, and what level of influence they have. Sounds very technical, right?

And yes, stakeholder mapping is an essential tool. But stakeholder management isn’t just about matrices and engagement plans—it’s about people, influence, and relationships. And that’s where soft skills make all the difference.

Why Soft Skills Matter in Stakeholder Management

In most sustainability projects, you don’t have formal authority over the people you need to work with.

You’re not the CFO, yet you need Finance to prioritize ESG reporting.
You’re not in Procurement, yet you need suppliers to meet sustainability standards.
You don’t run Operations, yet you need them to implement climate targets.

Your job is to lead without formal authority. That means the way you communicate, listen, and build relationships will determine your success.

Here’s how to make stakeholder management work for you:

✅ Know Your Audience – Not everyone needs the same level of detail. Executives want high-level impact and risks. Technical teams need specifics. Adapt your message accordingly.

✅ Lead Without Authority – You can’t force people to act, but you can influence them. Build alliances, connect ESG goals to their KPIs, and make it easy for them to say yes.

✅ Listen More Than You Talk – Instead of pushing sustainability like a mandate, ask stakeholders about their challenges. Understand their concerns first, and they’ll be more willing to engage.

✅ Network & Be Proactive – Stakeholder management isn’t just about meetings. Build relationships before you need them. A casual coffee chat today can open doors when you need support later.

Sustainability projects don’t succeed because of PowerPoint slides or well-structured matrices—they succeed because people are on board. Get the people part right, and execution becomes 10x easier. 🚀

3️⃣ Time Management & Execution: The Skill That Keeps You in Control

There’s always more work to be done. The problem isn’t the workload—it’s that time runs out before the work is finished.

If you’re working in sustainability (or any corporate function), you already know the feeling:
🔹 Multiple projects running at the same time.
🔹 Stakeholders pulling you in different directions.
🔹 Deadlines creeping up before you’ve had time to breathe.

The reality? You will never get it all done.

That’s why the ability to prioritize, say no, and focus on what matters most is what separates those who thrive from those who burn out.

How to Take Control of Your Time

✅ Prioritize Ruthlessly – Not all tasks are equally important. Focus on the high-impact work that actually moves the needle. If everything is a priority, nothing is.

✅ Learn to Say No – You can’t help everyone, attend every meeting, or be involved in every initiative. Be clear on what’s worth your time. Saying no isn’t about rejecting work—it’s about protecting your ability to deliver results where it matters.

✅ Delegate (If You’re Leading a Team) – If you try to do everything yourself, you’ll slow things down. Trust your team. Delegate tasks based on strengths and empower others to take ownership.

✅ Block Focus Time – Endless meetings and emails will kill your productivity. Set uninterrupted work blocks to make real progress on key tasks.

Great execution isn’t about working more hours—it’s about making the hours count. If you master time management, you won’t just survive the workload—you’ll stand out as someone who gets things done.

🚀 Final Thoughts: Soft Skills Will Set You Apart

Sustainability is a field full of technical challenges, complex regulations, and evolving frameworks. But at the core of every successful sustainability professional isn’t just technical expertise—it’s the ability to communicate, engage, and execute.

You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you can’t get people to listen, collaborate, and take action, your impact will always be limited.

That’s why I’ve been investing a lot of time lately into improving my soft skills—because I realized that they are the real game-changer for career growth and leadership. And since this newsletter is all about providing value, I wanted to share my learnings with you.

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