The human community and the health of the environment are inextricably intertwined. The fate of one depends on the other. The goal of ensuring human dignity for all in healthy environments is featured in the Sustainable Development Goals and articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as in numerous national and international constitutive statements. Most, if not all, democractic nation-states of the world endorse this dual goal. To best meet this overriding goal for humankind, we make four claims about citizenship and leadership. First, we need knowledgeable and skilled citizens and leaders. Second, this places upon the individual a great responsibility for building their citizenship. Third, responsible engagement requires significant lived experiences, thinking, and learning about human dignity. Fourth is recognizing that a person must know oneself to attain responsible citizenship and leadership. These claims tell us that every free person is their own greatest resource. In turn, we must grasp the ecological limits of the environment. Lastly, human dignity is a common interest that is widely shared. As human and environmental interactions grow increasingly complex, with escalating unintended consequences, we must remain open to new ways of thinking and acting in the period of colossal change of the coming decades.