GRLI

EFMD and the UN Global Compact as the two supporting organisations have committed their backing to the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative. They have given their goodwill, brands and support to its ongoing work.

Our vision for the future
A world where leaders contribute to the creation of economic and societal progress in a globally responsible and sustainable way.

Our goal
To develop the next generation of globally responsible leaders through a global alliance of companies and learning institutions, networking, acting and learning together to implement and promote globally responsible leadership.

Three guiding principles

1. Result orientation: Whatever the Initiative decides to do must clearly increase the capability to deliver visible results on the ground.
   
   
2. Long-term effects: Whatever the Initiative decides to do will only qualify if it stands a strong chance to live on, and continuously affect, the development of globally responsible leaders.
   
   
3. Uniqueness: Getting things done innovatively, quickly and effectively while honouring and sustaining the unique combination of the partnership of businesses and learning institutions.

Our action agenda will do three things:

Concept Development – building a body of knowledge on Globally Responsible Leadership.

This includes the co-ordination and integration of theoretical knowledge, experience and research both through the accumulation of existing understanding and creating new knowledge. This work will be foundational in both curriculum re-design and new pedagogy for learning centres. It will also guide companies and individual leaders in best practices for globally responsible leadership. Areas of activity in 2006 will include:

• Creation of an executive doctorate on corporate global responsibility.
  
• A human inquiry initiative into the meaning and practice of globally responsible leadership.
  
• A doctoral dissertation proposal competition.
  
• The establishment of a research committee to direct, build and refine the ongoing
  research agenda.
  
• An initiative on globally responsible leadership from a developing country perspective.
  
• Rapid prototyping of self-assessment tools for globally responsible leadership.

Execution – developing globally responsible learning initiatives. Areas of activity in 2006 will include:

• Influencing change in the way that business schools are accredited and ranked.
  
• Faculty development through the creation of a teachers’ programme which is based on the development of a curriculum with innovative content and pedagogy.
  
• The design and testing of innovative approaches to globally responsible leadership
  development including experiental and whole person learning.
  
• Piloting a new approach to executive development within a corporate university.
  
• Supporting the education and learning stream of the UN Global Compact.

Advocacy – promoting the goals of the Initiative. Areas of activity in 2006 will include:

• Sharing the output of this report and the vision, goals and activities of the Initiative
  across the EFMD and UN Global Compact and other international and regional forums.
  
• Working to share and internalise the report and its recommendations within our own
  organisations.
  
• Developing and communicating a media strategy with key journals and newspapers worldwide.

Building the initiative
The work of the Initiative will be leveraged through a series of geographic, industry and discipline-specific initiatives. Each initiative will harness the power of the global network and add new members to it.

Involvement with the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative offers a unique opportunity to participate in creating the next generation of globally responsible leaders. Benefits of participation include:

• Improving global decision making through the opportunity to address and collaborate on key issues and dilemmas that globally responsible leaders face.
  
• Learning by participating in the work of the Initiative.
  
• Being part of a global network of committed businesses and learning institutions.
  
• The opportunity to contribute to relevant industry, geographic and discipline specific initiative.
  
• Events specifically organised for learning and changed practice around globally responsible leadership.

A call for engagement
Already we are witnessing the emergence of a group of people with awareness and attitudes of corporate global responsibility. This portends a tipping point, the development of a critical mass with a genuinely global view and the skills and appetite to change things for the better. Work with us to ensure that this becomes a reality.