23rd International Studying Leadership Conference

Leadership and Leadership Development for Sustainability

Sunday 30 November 2025 to Tuesday 2 December 2025

Gateway building entrance with Scots pines in background

Invitation to submit workshop proposals and symposia

In addition to the Call for proposals below, the conference team would like to extend invitations to participants to submit:

  • pre-conference workshop proposals for Sunday 30 November 2025
  • proposals for symposia or workshops during the main conference on Monday 1 December and Tuesday 2 December 2025

As during previous conferences, workshops or symposia can take a variety of formats. These sessions provide an opportunity to present ideas and facilitate small-group dialogue with colleagues. They are ideal for work that is in progress, exploratory in nature, or complete but intended to generate discussion and feedback.

A proposal for a workshop or symposium should be up to 750 words, excluding references, and provide sufficient context, background, and detail to allow reviewers to assess the relevance of the work.

The proposal should include:

  • title of the proposed pre-conference workshop, workshop, or symposium
  • references
  • author’s or authors’ name and contact details. Please also include names of other participants involved in the workshop or symposium.

Submissions

Proposals of up to 750 words, in Word or PDF, will be accepted until Friday 5 September 2025.

Please email your submission to bschoolevents@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Call for proposals

This year’s theme is an invitation to broaden existing conversations on a variety of themes, theoretical perspectives, methodological developments, and leadership development practices.  We welcome a variety of contributions, including research papers, symposia, and professional development workshops.  Suggested topics include:

  • What forms of leadership development are needed to facilitate leadership learning as a relational process towards ecological and social sustainability actions?
  • What theoretical (re)orientations of leadership are needed to understand leadership’s failure in an age of populism?
  • What are the leadership implications in relation to ecocentric forms of organisation that prioritise ecological sustainability?
  • What is the relationship between leadership and innovating? How does leadership respond to the development of more nuanced or alternative understandings of the concept of sustainability?
  • the role of power dynamics in sustainable leadership practices in organisations, policy-making, and social movements
  • methodological innovations and/or challenges of studying relational or pluralistic leadership.

References

  • Meadows, D. H., Randers, J., Meadows, D. L., & Meadows, D. H. (2005). Limits to growth : The 30-year update. Earthscan.
  • Rockstӧm, J, et al (2009) A Safe Operating Space for Humanity. Nature. 461: 472–475.

Submissions

Abstracts of up to 750 words, in Word or PDF, will be accepted until Friday 5 September 2025.

Please email your submission to bschoolevents@st-andrews.ac.uk.