This edition of Global Responsibility is cause for a moment of bittersweet reflection. The premature passing of Bryce Taylor was a great shock to all of us who knew and worked with him in the GRLI. He represented the very best of what we stand for with his profound determination to make a difference to the lives of human beings, his creativity, innovative thinking and focus on taking action for change. His legacy within the GRLI can be judged by the extent to which the development of the whole person and the concepts of Whole Person Learning now permeate every aspect of our work. It was therefore very exciting that his Whole Person Learning Manual was completed just prior to his death and is now available to all partners here. It is an extremely practical guide and I can recommend it to both whole person experts and novices alike.
A tour of the articles in this edition provides positive proof that we are an engaged global community of action focused around thought leadership, execution and advocacy.
On thought leadership, Malcolm McIntosh calls from Brisbane for a ‘SEE change’ and introduces us to the notion of the Sustainable Enterprise Economy (SEE). Eon Smit surveys the African landscape from Stellenbosch and wades into the patronising view that lumps all of Africa into a glib homogenous generality. From the other end of the globe, in Stockholm, Anders Aspling reflects on the new shapes emerging out of the mist as we consider the dilemmas and challenges of the business school of the future.
Advocacy is a theme that weaves through many pieces in the GRLI puzzle. Here it is specifically highlighted in the announcement of the results of the Inaugural Social Impact Award that is awarded to Esben Pedersenand Peter Neergard for their article on What matters to managers? The whats, whys, and hows of corporate social responsibility in a multinational corporation.The new Award is a joint venture between GRLI and Emerald Publishing Limited. In another partnership, we are collaborating with the UK’s Leadership Trust Foundation and other partners to host the Worldly Leadership Summit 6-7 September 2010. Sharon Turnbull’s article provides some insights into this event that is now being held for the second time.
Taking action is the underlying theme of the experiences shared in two contributions from the Americas. Dennis Hanno introduces us to some of what is going on at Babson College in Boston while Fernando d’Alessio and José Pereyra, from CENTRUM PUCP Lima, provide a great example of an operational approach to implementing the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and Globally Responsible Leadership concepts (GRL). The opposite of taking action is revealed by the tag team from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK, John Rayment and Jonathan Smith. Their research into attitudes in business schools around the world reaches a sobering conclusion: that many business school leaders do not see the job of steering business towards helping humanity achieve a sustainable future and tackling urgent global issues as one of their main roles either now or in the future. These finding reinforce our understanding that there is a great deal of unfinished business in fulfilling the GRLI’s mission to create a new generation of globally responsible leaders.
As the cover pictures depicts, we live in turbulent times and our task is to both make sense of the myriad of storms which engulf us and chart safe passages through them. This calls for courage, wisdom and action.
