Rocky Mountain Institute chairman and chief scientist Amory Lovins has always been a problem solver and driven to succeed. As a child, he showed great interest in gadgets and experiments, often playing in the basement workshop where his father, the head of research for a scientific instruments company, created unique and unusual devices. As an undergraduate student at Harvard, Lovins continued to explore his broad interests but dropped out after two years when Harvard required him to declare a major. Lovins later explained that he thought drawing the line at one or two main areas of interest was too limiting. In 1967 he transferred to England’s prestigious Oxford University, where he earned a master’s degree in physics. However, he left Oxford in 1971 without completing the doctoral degree because Oxford didn’t offer a program in energy, his area of interest. Two years later, the Arab oil embargo rocked the U.S. economy with a shortage of oil and gas. For Lovins, that event and the years following it crystallized his belief that a country’s dependence on foreign oil represents a national security risk. Increasingly, Lovins conducted research and focused on ways to make efficient use of the world’s resources. In a 1976 essay in Foreign Affairs, he introduced the idea of a “soft energy path,” advocating the use of renewable energy and creating efficiency through better planning and design. Lovins also coined the term “negawatt” to refer to a watt of electricity that doesn’t need to be generated as a result of an energy-saving measure. A former employee describes Lovins as a problem solver and a constant tinkerer. He is known for working odd hours when pondering a problem—to reach the solution for a client or to conduct research. Lovins continues to take a fresh perspective on the world’s energy needs and attempts to persuade others of the need for change. He maintains that earlier discussions of energy conservation focused on sacrifice, which framed the problem from the wrong perspective. He claims instead that energy efficiency generates profits, jobs, and competitive advantage—and that savvy employers are beginning to figure this out.

• What types of power does Amory Lovins possess to make him a good leader of an organization focusing on environmental issues? 

• Rather than preach to people about changing how they use energy, Amory Lovins says he attempts to lead by example. How does this behavior influence the behavior of others?