In a recent article on his website Mallen Baker presented five important CSR leadership features:

• Being prepared to challenge the logic of your industry
• Doing something because it is the right thing to do and then working out how to make it pay
• Understanding that the leader sets incentives - and sometimes that the bottom line is the wrong incentive
• Understanding when to follow the rules and when to use common sense in the face of unintended outcomes
• Knowing that, just because people around you see you as a leader, it doesn't mean you're a good one.

I cannot agree more with Mallen’s list. Even though he focuses on the pharmaceutical industry in his article, these are valid points in every industry. Let me add one thing to the CSR leadership: Leaders play not just a crucial role but a very challenging one. As a leader you realise you might be ahead of others, but how can you be sure that you are setting the benchmark as high as possible? As a leader you might be in danger of resting on your laurels.

So I think we should stress the importance of always reaching higher than the current status: Leaders must not wait until others overtake them or they will be criticised. Instead,  they should overtake and be continually critical of themselves.

What do you think? Which other characteristics are needed for  successful CSR leadership? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

Jeannette Weisschuh, Director of Global Citizenship, HP EMEA