This study investigates the critical role of organizational leadership in advancing green economic growth amid global environmental challenges. The primary objective is to evaluate sustainable leadership—a model emphasizing social responsibility and creating long-term value for stakeholders, future generations, and the environment while enhancing organizational performance and reducing costs.

An applied research method was adopted, utilizing the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IF-AHP) to assess and rank managers’ performance based on sustainable leadership dimensions. This method effectively addresses the inherent uncertainty and complexity involved in evaluating sustainability-related leadership.

The statistical population includes 15 selected companies from the food industry in Alborz province, Iran. The sample was selected through purposive sampling, comprising five experts specialized in sustainability and green management within the food sector. These experts assessed the companies’ leadership performance based on three main indicators: environmental, economic, and social.

The findings revealed that among the studied companies, Zar, Delpazir, and REZ Chocolate achieved the highest sustainable leadership scores, with values of 0.3645, 0.3533, and 0.3501, respectively. These results underscore the practical applicability of the IF-AHP method in identifying and ranking sustainable leaders within organizations.

In conclusion, the research contributes to understanding sustainable leadership and offers a structured approach for evaluating managerial effectiveness in supporting green economic development. It highlights the importance of capable leaders who can align organizational goals with sustainability principles while fostering trust and long-term success.