In 1992, The United Nations (UN) launched the Conference of the Parties (COP) to tackle climate change. Three decades later, rising temperatures fueled by unsustainable production patterns, consumerism and demands of a growing population continue to alter the nature of industries, communities and the planet. This necessitates a refreshed understanding of businesses as a natural vehicle for embracing social and environmental stewardship at the core of economic growth. The transition implies businesses reconceiving the intersection between corporate performance and society. Social impact in this context is defined in terms of sustaining the well-being of people. Social institutions provide human capital deployed by organizations as production inputs; these individuals are a fundamental component of dynamic and complex social structures—therefore reciprocity. Acknowledging inter-dependence, this paper encourages enhancing human resources as a fundamental determinant to catalyze systemic change and societal upliftment. The author undertakes a methodical analysis of the Five Capitals Model, Leadership Theories and Sustainability Leadership (SL) approach to develop human capital through Organizational Learning approach, application of the Triple Bottom Line model to measure outcomes and Creating Shared Value as levers for enabling systemic shifts. The discussion recognizes the lack of a comprehensive SL concept that postulates a cohesive integration of fundamental components that influence positive social impact (Galpin and Whittington in J Bus Strategy 33(4):40–48, 2012 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235250035_Sustainability_leadership_From_strategy_to_results ). Thematic evaluation and synthesis of literature leads the author to conclude that SL exhibits social consciousness by assimilating social well-being at the core of a firm’s corporate strategy, creates an inspiring vision and develops individuals as change agents. The discussion concludes by highlighting the opportunity for practitioners and researchers to develop consolidated frameworks and a curriculum that aims to establish a systems mindset in developing leaders across all levels of management hierarchies to escalate a cohesive momentum for social impact.