Principle 5
Sustainability
Goals are exceeded with people, and their human cost counts as a result.
What it means
A result achieved at the team’s expense is a debt paid later: in turnover, in burnout, in reputation. What lasts is what the team can sustain. Whoever leads well looks at what they achieve and at what it costs to achieve it, together.
How to recognize it
What contradicts it
- Tolerating harmful behavior because it delivers results.
- Results that would not survive their full human cost coming to light.
What it asks of the organization
Act when the system tolerates behavior incompatible with its values, even when it delivers results.
What it rests on
Gallup (State of the Global Workplace, 2026): the person who manages a team accounts for at least 70% of the variance in engagement across teams; in Spain, 10% of employees are engaged. Gallup puts the cost of replacing an employee at between half and twice their annual salary.
Sources
- Gallup (2026). State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report. gallup.com
- Beck, R., & Harter, J. (2015). Managers account for 70% of variance in employee engagement. Gallup Business Journal. gallup.com
- McFeely, S., & Wigert, B. (2019). This fixable problem costs U.S. businesses $1 trillion. Gallup Workplace, March 13. gallup.com
Recommended citation
Good Leadership (2026). Principle 5: Sustainability. Version 1.0. buenliderazgo.org/en/principles/sustainability/. License CC BY 4.0.