Building business success and values through Responsible Business Leadership
In the 21st century & beyond, can business survive without being responsible?
The wider social, environmental questions have invaded the boardroom because their present and future success demands it. They’re a moral imperative, both personally and corporately.
(Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick, International Director for BR & Corporate Citizenship with KPMG)
Historically, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or ‘Business Responsibility’ (BR) have been separate divisions within companies. Environmental and social responsibility have been well-intentioned add-ons.
However, in a rapidly changing world, companies are now recognising that to be competitive, to stay ahead of the game, BR needs to become a central part of business strategy. These values and principles must be embedded throughout organisations.
Why? As Lord Hastings said, the ethical concerns and commercial imperatives are lining up together. Today, ethical concerns are as big an issue for business leaders as they are for lobbyists. Your attitude to Business Responsibility directly affects your business’s value, as shareholders examine standards of corporate leadership, strategy, practice and governance more closely.
The ‘right (and responsible) thing to do’ is increasingly being seen as the ‘best way to do business.’
Profit and business ethics are no longer now mutually exclusive. Good governance is no longer optional.
There are many courses on understanding Business Responsibility and good governance.
There are many courses on effective, value led, innovative and creative leadership.
If your organisation is to remain competitive, you are going to need both.
What our masterclass will achieve
Our unique Master-class will combine the power of transformative leadership and a deep understanding of the issues of governance, business responsibility, accountability and its link to bottom line profits and innovation.
Our Master Class will help leaders become a powerful conduit for change within their organisations. Our uniquely skilled and experienced facilitators will help leaders engender a double radar of financial and commercial astuteness as well as the ability to see social, ethical, environmental opportunities and risks and how they may impact on their company, product or service. Not only that, but they will learn how to tap into and harness the values, ideas and extraordinary vision of those they lead.
These leadership skills are no longer merely, ‘nice to have,’ but fundamental in our ever changing world.
Business Responsibility needs firm foundations
Many businesses talk the BR talk. But they wonder why they stumble when they try to walk the BR walk.
They have sexy business CSR plans and possibly even special panels to create them. They write BR reports on recycled paper with water based ink and send them out to shareholders. However, because their plans are not embedded within the culture and structure of their organisations, they are not worth the beautifully recycled paper they are written on. They are houses built on sand: one puff of real weather and they wobble and collapse due to a lack of proper foundations.
If we are to respond to our constantly changing environment and multicultural, globalised world, foundations are fundamental.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Personal Social Responsibility
But how do we move beyond a range of unconnected philanthropic activities to an integrated embedded culture of business responsibility? How can BR move from being some tidy, highfalutin principles stuck on top of an organisation, to become an essential and integral part of the living breathing structure?
We believe that before there can be Corporate Social Responsibility within an organisation on a macro level, there needs to be a culture of Personal Social Responsibility on an individual, micro level.
This ‘Personal Social Responsibility’ needs to be embraced by the leadership team so the core values of transparency, authenticity and ethical business responsibility can cascade down throughout the workforce.
‘A creative leader sees the vision, communicates its possibilities, believes its achievements, inspires others to contribute their best and motivates others to dream too.’ (David Goleman, Executive EQ)
BT: British Telecom
Accountable, transparent leadership. Every week Ben Verwaayen, CEO of B.T, allows a few hours open forum to hear from any member of his staff via the intranet. Nothing is taboo; no un-askable questions, ideas or queries. Everything is replied to; a powerful initiative that has made BT one of the most popular employers.
HSBC
Inspired and creative leadership that realises that if you want to innovate, you have to bring your workforce with you. HSBC’s leaders wanted to develop their new Global Environmental Efficiency Programme (GEEP) They wanted to reduce the bank’s impact on the environment, through a series of initiatives, including the introduction of renewable energy technology, water and waste reduction programmes and employee engagement.
To achieve this, they powerfully harnessed the creativity and innovation of their workforce. They consulted branches across the world, and took ideas from every sector and all levels of the organisation. People who were passionate about the subject were invited to become part of the planning stage. They made sure people at all levels recognised its’ importance. They celebrated the different pilots; including their business in Rome that became carbon neutral through the initiatives of the local workforce. The pilots were so successful that they are committing £45 million over five years and they have achieved a Gold rating in the, ‘Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design.
02
‘Motivating and inspiring leadership’, like 02s groundbreaking initiative called, “It’s your Community.”
The scheme gives employees direct access to funding for projects they want to develop to bring positive change to their local communities. All of the 400 O2 retail outlets have signed up to it. Projects as various and inspiring as: creating community gardens, supporting youth groups and even developing a Circus School in an impoverished community in South Wales. 02 employees are not just expected to create the initiative, but also support it practically within their office hours.
The scheme is a great example of leaders believing in and harnessing the innovation of their staff. It creates ownership and a sense of pride within the work-force; it helps employees feel part of the community they belong to and also gives 02 unbeatable PR for the communities they are working within. 02 has become part of the community, therefore profit has increased.
When it all goes wrong
The danger of not having transparent leadership and imbedded BR principles throughout the workforce has a cost, not only on the staff turnover and its’ morale, but also its profit and PR. This can have catastrophic effects.
BA in 2007 had severe strikes because they imposed restrictive regulations on to a staff that had not been notified. This caused, as we know, mayhem. Flights were cancelled, passengers were furious and the costs rolled into the millions. BA had to cancel the proposed changes. Nothing, except a great deal of bad PR, was gained.
If you are interested and want to find out more please call
Neela Bettridge on 02088404450
or visit Corporate Social Responsibility, Governance, Sustainable Development
Building business success and values through Responsible Business Leadership
Linear Mode
