In my book, Tailoring the Green Suit: Empowering Yourself for an Executive Career in the New Green Economy, I state that the enterprising green business executive–The Green Suit–may do well and do right, making the world a better place.

But, just how easy is it for any of us to do well and do right at the same time? Given the prolonged economic downturn we are experiencing, not very.

Fewer of us are getting hired or re-hired while more are adjusting to doing more with less. Yet, despite that, The Green Suit must continue striving to do well and do right.

And might I add that The Green Suit must do well and do right in a deliberate manner. We cannot pass the time gazing at our PDAs, our online calendars, or our navels waiting for economic and hiring conditions to improve. Instead, we must do all we can now to usher in the new green economy, faster.

Whether you hope to pivot into a green executive job–or–want to turn the conventional assignment you have green, there are ways you can leverage your time and energies well. Here are five things you should be doing now to tailor your Green Suit:

1. Gather information. Make it your daily practice to read news stories pertaining to corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Become fully familiar with the issues and the thought-leaders in the green business space;
2. Gain knowledge. Enroll in a corporate sustainability-focused MBA program, or–if you are not sure exactly how you want to pivot your executive career into the green space–then audit courses on business-related environmental subjects so that you can commit to a course of study that best suits your interests and motivations;
3. Get on-the-job experience. This one is not as easy as it sounds, yet it is critically important. If you are already in a green job or working for an obviously green company (such as a renewable energy or green tech company) then do everything you can now to expand your corporate sustainability and/or CSR expertise. If you are not in a green job or work for a not-obviously-green company (such as an insurance provider or a financial institution) then do everything that you can now to adopt best-practices. Stage your company’s first green audit, baseline-measure the carbon footprint, recommend how your firm may return millions of dollars to the bottom-line by conserving energy and water, and promote and execute CSR programs involving skill-based volunteerism. If you are not currently employed, get selected as a corporate sustainability program intern;
4. Walk the walk. Demonstrate your corporate greenness by conserving energy and resources at home, limit your dry-cleaning by steam-pressing your work attire, partake in mass-transit commuting, become a tele-commuter and work from home, and write opinion editorials (op/eds) for your local newspaper that promote sustainability and CSR, and;
5. Remain totally ENTHUSIASTIC. Your high energy and good spirits will help render you a more-attractive job candidate, aid your rise up the corporate ladder, help win you admirers in the senior corporate ranks, and increase your visibility and credibility in the green business community.

Have you had your fill or the corporate life? Then maybe it is time to become an eco-entrepreneur. Perhaps the-most exciting aspect of the new green economy is that millions of start up businesses focused on sustainability, green tech, or CSR will be launched. As an eco-entrepreneur, you will lead innovation and ideation that in turn will rebuild our nation’s wealth, drive profitability for generations, and provide careers for green-minded executives–The Green Suits.

Our future looks very bright, indeed. Take advantage of the current (overcast) conditions to become an enthusiastic and successful green business executive. And to guide you to a great green business executive career, buy your copy of Tailoring the Green Suit, today.