AIBS has joined a pioneering network of 60 business schools and companies from across the world whose mission is to promote and support the development of a next generation of globally responsible leaders.

The network, called The Global Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), was started in 2004 by the European Foundation of Management Development. They recognised the growing and urgent need to equip our emerging leaders with the skills, knowledge and passion to champion social and environmental responsibility in the corporate world.

The GRLI is a unique global community of action and learning, consisting of organisations that work individually, in pairs, in clusters and collectively to be a "dynamic laboratory for hands-on action".

Globally responsible leadership
The current financial crisis has shown that the ideal of a self-regulated system has led us to failure on a global level, with long-term implications to economic development and human well-being. At the heart of this failure is a lack of both responsibility and leadership.

The advent of 'Responsible Leadership' would drive forward a more comprehensive model for sustainable development. However, this requires a profound change in individual mindsets and behaviours as well as overall corporate culture. Individuals and corporations must assume their responsibility towards the Common Good.

Re-visiting the raison d'être of the firm
An 'economic' view equates progress with profit growth but GRLI aims to embed a far wider spectrum of progress that corporations and individuals should seek to achieve through global business. For example, progress in environmental sustainability, culture, society, politics, spirituality, education, and health.

While a firm's financial progress may lead to achieving wider goals as a consequence, a Responsible approach would take broader societal progress and sustainable development to the heart of the firm's reason for existence.

GRLI aims to re-formulate the purpose of business to: "Create economic and societal progress in a globally responsible and sustainable way".

Leadership Development
GRLI believes that we should re-think the way business, political and social leaders are educated and trained. The new leadership must motivate, communicate, empower and convince people to engage with a new vision of sustainable development and the necessary change that this implies.

Business schools should therefore educate 'the whole person' as entrepreneurs, leaders, and corporate statesmen and women with the character and talent needed to lead the change to sustainability in business.

The Business Partner will become part of the GRLI network and have access to the cutting edge of thinking on Management and Leadership practice from some of the world's leading Management Education Institutions.

Young Ambassadors
GRLI is also building a community of Responsible young leaders who are studying in or have newly graduated from the world's business schools as GRLI ambassadors. They will contribute to dialogue and be the seedbed for international research on Responsible Leadership. They will be advocates for the mission and objectives of GRLI. A Website and Facebook community around responsibility issues is being created for the Ambassadors and there will be events, virtual conferences and various ways to get involved with the GRLI Academic and Business members.

GRLI Ambassadors will connect with existing organizations such as Net Impact, UN Youth Forum, AIESEC, and Bill Clinton's Global Initiative.

Contact:
If you have any questions or would like to become involved with AIBS in the Global Responsible Leadership Programme then please contact Jonathan Smith or John Rayment.

The founding members of GRLI:

• Aviva (UK)
• Barloworld Limited (South Africa)
• Bordeaux Business School (France)
• Groupe Caisse d'Epargne (France)
• China Europe International Business School - CEIBS (China)
• ESSEC Business School (France)
• Fundação Dom Cabral (Brazil)
• IBM
• IESE Business School (Spain)
• INSEAD (France and Singapore)
• Instituto de Empresa (Spain)
• Lafarge (France)
• London Business School (UK)
• Merryck & Co (UK)
• Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management (USA)
• Petróleo Brasileiro SA - PETROBRAS (Brazil)
• Queen's University School of Business (Canada)
• Responsible Business Initiatives (Pakistan)
• Telefonica (Spain)
• The ForeSight Group (Sweden)
• The Oasis School of Human Relations (UK)
• University of Management and Technology (Pakistan)
• University of South Africa, Centre for Corporate Citizenship (South Africa).