New CEMS report sets out recommendations for globally responsible business leaders, educators and young professionals
Reliance on a wise ‘guru’ leader or ‘hero CEO’ endangers progress in tackling the environmental crisis by shifting responsibility, according to a new report from the CEMS Global Alliance in Management Education, of which NUS Business School is a partner.
Instead, all leaders need to adopt a corporate culture of ‘collective’ responsibility, empowering all employees to make decisions with a generational outlook if real change is to take place.
The new report – Leading for the Future of Our Planet – builds on findings from a CEMS survey of 4,206 professionals across 75 countries revealing that the environment is the single greatest concern facing modern-day business leaders, overtaking technological advancement.
It features in-depth insights and recommendations from a range of experts across the CEMS community.
Some recommendations for leaders, educators and early career professionals include:
-Set up a cross-functional task group of environmental ambassadors who have a passion for championing environmental issues. A cross-functional team is the best way to ensure meaningful change across the whole organisation.
-Promote the concept of ‘collective leadership’ over ‘guru leadership’. The solution to the environmental crisis cannot be down to just one wise leader.
-Don’t leave business school without sustainability skills and competencies in your ‘toolbox’. Take every opportunity, especially while you’re studying, to educate yourself about the complexity of the environmental agenda, past, current and future thinking, and then bring these concepts with you into the workplace as it will give you an enormous advantage.
The rise of the self-aware leader
One expert quoted in the report is Professor Andrew Delios, Vice Dean, MSc Programmes, NUS Business School, who is also from the Department of Strategy & Policy. He spoke of the rise of the self-aware leader.
“We will need leaders who understand who they are, are in touch with their personal values and use these values as the basis for their tough decisions,” said Prof Delios.
These leaders will need to value the importance of introspection, continually reflecting on how they’ve handled challenging situations and how they could do better. This process creates truly authentic leaders that people are willing to follow.
Prof Delios added that these bold leaders can drive the cultural change needed for a greater focus on ESG issues. “They must empower employees to develop this change, support it, fight through complacency, build coalitions and martial stakeholders. They need the courage to push the rock to the top of the mountain and then let it roll down.”
Nicole de Fontaines, Executive Director of CEMS, said, “The business world must play a critical role in leading the charge because it has the capacity, capability, and resource to drive positive change. The challenge is how to develop – at all levels – bold, exceptional leaders with the awareness and skills to deploy world-saving solutions.
“As set out in this report – with the urgency to tackle environmental challenges must come a comprehensive sea change in mindset, priorities and behaviours within companies. Difficult, long-term decisions must be made, with an unwavering commitment from organisations, and their leaders, to deliver on them – regardless of how difficult or unpopular they may be.”
This article is an abridged version of the CEMS news release and the report Leading for the Future of Our Planet.