Leadership for Longevity and Sustainability in Antigua and Barbuda, West Indies

Abstract

Effective leadership is a critical component of adaptive management. Within the conservation realm, novel insights into leadership can be gleaned in the areas of longevity, sustainability, and legacy that offer lessons for sectors in the business, scientific, and technological worlds. This chapter examines the historical leadership and management of the Offshore Islands Conservation Program (OICP) found in the Small Island Developing State (SIDS) of Antigua and Barbuda. Utilizing a mixed method approach involving the Conservation Excellence Model (CEM), desk-based review, and stakeholder feedback, observations on governance and management were generated and used to improve the program's operational approach and sustainability of conservation efforts. The benefits arising from the use of the CEM assessment, in this case, illustrate that evaluations of this type should be encouraged for use by practitioners within their organization. Thus, the passing on of leadership skills and the careful recruitment of diverse talents is essential to the maintenance of high-performing organizations.