WHAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP DOES AN ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION TRULY REQUIRE?
Reflections on a lecture by Dr. Goran Carstedt
Lidi Yang
is currently a lecturer at the School of Marxism, Xi'an University of Technology (Xi'an, China). Her research interest includes traditional Chinese culture, process philosophy, and Marxist philosophy
Zhihe Wang
PhD, Director of Institute for Postmodern Development of China, Co-director of China Project, Center for Process Studies (Claremont, CA, USA)
Abstract
On March 28, 2026, Dr. Goran Carstedt, an outstanding European business leader, delivered a keynote speech themed "Creating a Sustainable Future: The Core Mission of Contemporary Leaders — From Volvo and IKEA to Ecological Civilization" at the 55th lecture of the Ecological Civilization Series Lectures of Cobb Eco-Academy. Combining his senior executive experience in the leading companies, as well as his academic and social identities as a visiting professor at the University of Gothenburg and Chairman of the International Foundation for "The Natural Step", Dr. Carstedt focused on three core dimensions: the reconstruction of leadership, the revolution of world outlook paradigm, and the turn of civilization. He criticized the "authoritative control" leadership model and "mechanical separation" world outlook of modern enterprises, advocated the "co-creation and symbiosis" leadership and the new world outlook of "organic wholeness", and clarified that sustainable development is an inevitable choice rather than an option for human civilization. His ideas are highly consistent with constructive postmodernism, integrate the wisdom of "governing by non-interference" in traditional Chinese culture. He emphasizes the win-win situation of individuals, organizations and nature, highly appraising China's practice in ecological civilization construction, and providing important enlightenment for global ecological governance and leadership reform.
Keywords: ecological civilization, leadership, organic holistic world outlook, sustainable development, constructive postmodernism
Introduction
On March 28, 2026 (Beijing Time), the 55th session of the Ecological Civilization Series Lectures at Cobb Eco-Academy welcomed an important guest ——Dr. Goran Carstedt, an outstanding European business leader. As a thinker with both top corporate management experience and profound academic accomplishment, Dr. Goran Carstedt once led IKEA's European retail business and worked in the Volvo Group for 16 years. Meanwhile, he holds multiple positions such as Visiting Professor at the University of Gothenburg and Chairman of the International Foundation for "The Natural Step". He has been the managing director of MIT's Society for Organizational Learning. His thoughts are not only rooted in the soil of cross-cultural business practice but also sublimated into profound reflections on the development of human civilization. In this lecture, he delivered a keynote speech themed "Creating a More Sustainable Future: The Core Mission of Contemporary Leaders ——From Volvo, IKEA to Ecological Civilization". This is consistent with his long-term commitment to promoting the in-depth integration of business and ecology, as well as his career of deeply participating in the construction of a sustainable future as a "global citizen".
Dr. Meijun Fan, Dean of the Cobb Eco-Academy and Program Director at the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, served as the host of the lecture. Ms. Yu Siqun—a “new farmer,” writer, and ecological scholar—acted as the interpreter. Together, they infused the ecological cause with fresh intellectual momentum through their wisdom and enthusiasm.
More than 60 participants attended the lecture, including Ms. Alice Wang , Secretary-General of the Aurora Borealis Foundation.
Dr. Zhihe Wang, Director of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China; Dr. Jin Lipeng from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute; and Ms.Bianca Yin from the University of California, San Diego, along with other experts and scholars in ecological civilization, university students, environmental advocates, and entrepreneurs.
Dr. Goran Carstedt started his sharing with his work experience in various parts of the world, including Sweden, France, North America, even in Africa and China. Obviously, facing different countries, different industries and different enterprises, he has been conducting conscious observation and integration. From the internal management of enterprises to the role and function of enterprises in the external system, and then to the exploration and wisdom precipitation of the entire ecological system and civilization paradigm ——the whole lecture runs through the logical main line of "criticism-construction", expanding from the dimensions of the nature of leadership, world view paradigm and the inevitability of sustainable development. The subsequent Q&A session responded to the audience's key questions about practical paths and corporate responsibilities around the core views of the lecture, further enriching and deepening his core propositions.
Reconstruction of leadership: From "control and domination" to "co-creation and symbiosis"
At the beginning of his speech, Dr. Goran Carstedt clearly denied the prevalent "authoritative control" leadership model in modern enterprise management. Combining his senior management experience in Volvo and IKEA, he said bluntly: "You need to create a kind of human energy, which can lead the organization from one point to another. So how to create this energy and gather human energy? If you invite everyone to do something meaningful, with a meaningful goal, or where they can learn a lot, maybe some people who love learning will join in." He further explained that the core mission of leadership is "to promote the value leap of the organization from point A to point B", and the realization of this leap includes several meanings: first, meaning co-creation. "Leaders cannot define the mission of the organization alone, but should dialogue with employees, customers, communities and even nature, so that the goals of the organization are integrated with everyone's pursuits, and let employees understand 'why we do it' rather than just 'what we have to do'"; second, full participation. "The future organization is not a pyramid-like hierarchical structure, but a networked collaboration system. Each individual is the main body of value creation. The role of leaders is to build platforms, remove obstacles, and ensure that everyone's wisdom can be heard and respected"; third, bottom-up. "Genuine innovation and change never come from the mandatory promotion from the top, but from the practical exploration at the grassroots level. Leaders should learn to 'let go', trust the power of the collective, allow trial and error, and tolerate differences."
When talking about the relationship between leadership and power, Dr. Goran Carstedt said frankly: "Power is not a tool to control others, but a responsibility to serve the collective and promote symbiosis. An excellent leader is not a 'high-ranking commander', but a 'silently dedicated enabler'; not an 'autocratic decision-maker', but a 'consensus-building coordinator'. When leaders let go of the obsession with authority and learn to listen and cooperate, they can truly stimulate the internal vitality of the organization and achieve a win-win situation for individuals, organizations and nature."
Success is not the maximization of corporate profits, but the win-win situation of individuals, organizations and nature; we need to redefine the connotation of 'leadership' ——leadership is not control and domination, but empowerment and symbiosis. "When I worked at IKEA USA, I asked them to integrate blue and yellow with stars and stripes to design the company's logo; when I was in Canada, I asked them to integrate yellow and blue and maple leaves to make the company's logo. Yellow and blue are because IKEA is from Sweden, which are the colors of Sweden. The significance of this matter lies in 'co-creation' ——we jointly create a picture. So it's not that we have a plan to implement somewhere, but that we don't have a ready-made thing; we need to co-create with you. Therefore, the first step in a co-creation process is learning and listening. Only after learning and listening can you have the possibility of further actions."
Dr. Goran Carstedt loves Chinese culture and has studied traditional Chinese culture intensively for many years. Therefore, his management thought deeply embodies the essence of "governing by non-interference". He quoted Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching: "The best ruler is one whose existence is barely known to the people; Next comes one who is loved and praised; Next comes one who is feared; The worst is one who is despised." He believes that the highest realm of governance is that leaders "achieve without acting" ——not claiming credit, not being arbitrary, not interfering forcibly, but conforming to the laws of things' development, allowing individuals to do their best and get their due, and ultimately realizing the harmonious development of the collective. This governance philosophy of "governing by non-interference" forms a resonance between Eastern and Western governance wisdom. It does not go against the laws of things' development, does not forcibly interfere with individuals' behaviors, but allows individuals to develop independently and the collective to cooperate and coexist by building platforms and removing obstacles.
Paradigm revolution: From "mechanical separation" to "organic symbiosis"
Talking about the turning point of his thoughts, he said that like many people, he was obsessed with "modernity" at first, but the following words of the Czech president touched him deeply: "I think there are good reasons for suggesting that the modern age has ended. Today, many things indicate that we are going through a transitional period, when it seems that something is on the way out and something else is painfully being born." What is declining day by day? "It is the mechanical world view we are familiar with." He believes that the leap in productivity and the great changes in the material world have caused modern people's self-confidence. However, that so-called "self-confidence" is superficial. The neglected and concealed ecological crises, social divisions and spiritual distress are always lingering, and new things are being called for and formed. This new thing is a new world view based on quantum physics, including multiple connotations such as organic wholeness, network collaboration, process generation and relationship orientation. He emphasized: "Quantum physics tells us that everything is interconnected and interdependent; there are no isolated individuals. Everything is generated in relationships and developed in collaboration. This new world view requires us to abandon the 'control thinking' and establish the 'symbiosis thinking'; abandon 'anthropocentrism' and establish the concept of 'equality of all things'; abandon 'instrumental rationality' and establish 'value rationality'."
In his speech, Dr. Goran Carstedt profoundly criticized the single logic of "shareholder primacy" in modern enterprises, believing that this logic is an important cause of corporate short-sightedness, ecological damage and social contradictions. He pointed out: "For a long time, modern enterprises have been defined as 'tools for creating profits for shareholders'. All decisions are centered on maximizing shareholder interests, ignoring the demands of other stakeholders such as employees, customers, communities and nature. This single value logic not only makes enterprises fall into the misunderstanding of 'profit first' but also makes them lose the motivation for long-term development."
He proposed that enterprises should reconstruct their existential value with the question "Who would miss us if we weren’t here?": "A valuable organization not only creates profits for shareholders but also provides a platform for employees' growth, provides valuable products and services for customers, contributes to the community, and reduces the burden on nature. When an organization can answer 'Who would miss us if we weren’t here?', it can truly integrate into society and nature and gain long-term vitality."
Dr. Carstedt made a profound comparison of the cognitive improvement under two different world views: from "Hierarchies" to "Networks"; from "valuing Structure" to "valuing Process"; from "talking about teaching at every turn" to "caring about Learning"; from focusing on "Capital growth" to emphasizing "People growth"; from "Human Resources" to "Human Relations"; from "Conquer Nature" to "Harmony with Nature". This paradigm shift is comprehensive, profound and inspiring. It shows that people cannot be "created" by following the past model, but create their own future.
Dr. Goran Carstedt's speech pointed out the widespread separation and opposition caused by dualistic thinking, which is the fundamental cause of ecological crises, social alienation and organizational rigidity. The organic holistic thinking he advocates is a vivid practice of constructive post-modern holistic organicism ——he believes that human beings are part of nature, not the masters of nature; employees are the main body of the organization, not the tools of the organization; the economy is a subsystem of the ecology, not the other way around. Everything develops in interconnection and interdependence. This holistic organicism is the core philosophical foundation of Dr. Goran Carstedt's thoughts.
Civilizational turn: From "choice" to "mission"
Dr. Goran Carstedt clearly pointed out that sustainable development is not an "option" but a "must", an inevitable trend in the development of human civilization. He emphasized: "Profits should come from solving the problems of the times, not creating them. Currently, the biggest problem of our time is the ecological crisis. The urgency is unmistakable: Global greenhouse-gas emissions are still growing. Temperatures are accelerating. Biodiversity is collapsing. Nature’s buffering capacity is shrinking. Self-amplifying tipping points are approaching. Hundreds of millions could be forced to leave their homes in coming decades. Going where? We have no answer. If enterprises still adhere to the single logic of 'shareholder primacy', only pursue short-term profits, and ignore ecological responsibilities and social values, they will eventually be eliminated by the times."
Combining his practice in participating in "The Natural Step" International Foundation, Dr. Goran Carstedt elaborated on the core connotation of sustainable development in detail: "Sustainable development is not 'reducing damage', but 'active creation' ——creating an environment where humans and nature coexist harmoniously, creating a development model that balances economic, ecological and cultural values, and creating a future that can benefit future generations. This is not a vision, but the mission of our generation."
Dr. Goran Carstedt paid special attention to China's ecological civilization construction. He highly appraised China's practice of writing "Ecological Civilization" into its Constitution and practicing the wisdom of "harmony between man and nature", believing that "only by regarding the earth as a whole of life can we find a way out". He said that as a major world power, China's practice in building ecological civilization has not only laid the foundation for its own sustainable development but also provided valuable experience for global ecological governance. "I have seen China's rapid development in renewable energy, green buildings, ecological protection and other fields, and I have also seen the firm determination of Chinese leaders to sustainable development, which makes me full of hope for the future of humanity. I firmly believe that China will lead the global ecological civilization process with great power leadership and promote the transformation of world civilization from industrial civilization to ecological civilization."
Conclusion: "Consciousness awakening oneself and others" and "constructive post-modernists"
The content of Dr. Goran Carstedt's speech and Q&A is not a simple sharing of corporate management experience, but contains profound philosophical thinking. Its core ideas are highly consistent with the theoretical system of constructive post-modernism, and it is a concrete expression of constructive post-modernism in the fields of leadership and ecology. The core of constructive post-modernism is to reconstruct values beyond modernity on the basis of criticizing the drawbacks of modernity, oppose the nihilism of deconstructive post-modernism, and advocate the realization of sustainable development of human civilization by establishing new relationships between humans and nature, humans and society, and humans and humans. Its core theoretical pillars include post-modern holistic organicism, post-modern ecological civilization view and post-modern creation view.
The consistency between Dr. Goran Carstedt's speech and the theoretical purport of constructive post-modernism is no accident. Dr. Goran Carstedt is an octogenarian, and it is precisely because of this that his experience and choices are sufficiently convincing. He is fond of Chinese philosophy, loves nature, values the way of creation and sincere and equal coexistence, and has a keen sense and deep sense of mission for social and environmental crises. Integrating all these, it is actually the path of "ecological civilization" pointed out by constructive post-modernism.
At the end of the lecture, Dr. Fan Meiyun summarized: "A profound transformation comes from joint creation (co-creation), which is the direction called for by ecological civilization. It is not the conquest of nature, but the reconstruction of relationships; not a single development, but the harmonious coexistence of the whole life. It is in this sense that Cobb Eco-Academy continues to build such a bridge." Many insightful people, whether it is Academician John B. Cobb Jr., the "ecological sage", Dr. David Schwoerbel, a leader in corporate social responsibility, or Chinese local scholars such as Wen Tiejun and Zhang Xiaode, including the attention of many Marxists in China, all show their pursuit of "ecological civilization". As the saying goes, "All roads lead to Rome, and different thoughts converge to the same goal." Perhaps not all scholars claim to be "constructive post-modernists", but "names are the guests of reality". The times have come to this point; it is destined to be a moment when the old model is unsustainable and a new civilization is emerging. Thousands of "awakened" people around the world are describing its "image" and constructing its "body" in different languages.
We toil through countless peaks and ravines, never shirking hardship; only from afar can we see our lofty origins.Looking back on humanity’s long history, we hold firm to the belief: no mountain stream can hold us bound; we shall surge toward the vast ocean as mighty waves.Gazing into the futures concealed in countless parallel dimensions, we believe that “our destiny is forged by ourselves, and our blessings sought by our own hands.”As a community with a shared future for mankind, some raise their voices in a rallying cry, and more are joining in succession. As Wang Zhihe put it: “The rise and fall of the world rests on you and me.”Let us stand together to co-build, coexist, and share, ushering in a new era of ecological civilization!
Suggested citation note
Yang, L., Wang, Z. (2026). What kind of leadership does an ecological civilization truly require? Reflections on a lecture by Dr. Goran Carstedt. Ecopoiesis: Eco-Human Theory and Practice, 7 (2). [open access internet journal]. – URL: http://ecopoiesis.ru (d/m/y)