Report on the 2020 Aug GRLI Deans Cohort Check-In Gathering (27-28 Aug 2020)

The GRLI Deans & Directors Cohort convened virtually on 27–28 August 2020 for a check-in gathering to process their experiences navigating the pandemic's impact on management education. Comprising over 70 business school leaders and learning partners, this established cohort operates as a collaboratory advancing globally responsible management education and systems-level change within the sector.

The report synthesizes discussions structured around three reflective questions: individual leadership capacities proving most useful in crisis ("Me"), institutional responses to uncertainty ("We"), and collective contributions to a better shared future ("All of Us"). Participants shared insights on rapid adaptation to online teaching, the importance of authentic and inclusive leadership, and the shift toward long-term strategic thinking beyond crisis response. Key themes included sustaining organizational resilience, decentralizing decision-making, and maintaining human connection in virtual environments.

Emerging from these conversations were concrete commitments: designing a co-created Responsible Leadership course across institutions and establishing more frequent peer-led sessions for mutual support. The report captures the cohort's recognition that business education must evolve toward serving as a genuine force for good, positioning management schools as catalysts for systemic change addressing sustainability, equity, and societal wellbeing.