Taking the lead from the field of sport
Joe Schmidt, the Irish Rugby Head Coach, has shared his leadership insights fresh from the Six Nations campaign at the Leadership for a Sustainable World conference, organised by DCU’s Leadership & Talent Institute.
Highlighting accountability and acknowledgement as key to successful leadership within an interdependent team, he was joined by a line-up of internationally regarded thought leaders, strategists, MC’d by veteran CNN reporter, Gina London, to discuss topics such as C-Suite succession, gender and leadership and sustainable leadership.
Doug Baillie, former Chief HR Officer, Unilever Global, the consumer goods multinational, urged organisations to be courageous in embedding sustainability at the heart of their operations in order to succeed in an increasingly volatile environment,
“Many are describing the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world we live in as the ‘new normal’ and certainly as 2016 has started is seems here to stay. As we look further out we see our business environment is going to be shaped by some big trends and forces – the world is increasingly moving to the East and the South, the digital revolution is disrupting all we do, we have reached the end of the age of abundance as planetary boundaries are under real stress and there is no doubt people will live differently. The challenge for many corporates is how do they respond and what role should they be playing in contributing to making the world a more sustainable one. Unilever is one global company that has taken action with a new business model and spent time thinking about what will be the key skills leaders will need to navigate our new normal world.”
Stuart Woollard, CEO of the Maturity Institute speaking on ‘’The advent of Human Governance" said,
"What society now demands and expects from business organisations has changed. Indeed, what society values has already evolved too quickly for many, who have or are failing to adapt. Human Governance emerges when a company understands that societal and shareholder value are not mutually exclusive. And that it is all human capital that touches the organisation, which when managed effectively, is its fundamental source of long term, sustainable success. We can now rate comparative human capital management capability and effective human governance. For companies, investors and other key stakeholders, this represents an opportunity to both understand and generate significant value."
A number of speakers addressed the opportunities and challenges facing women in leadership positions: the power of stereotypes, how to channel the talents of female leaders, influence change and progress the diversity agenda within organisations. The ‘Women in Leadership’ panel included Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland; Dr Bernadette Carr, VHI; and Emily Blennerhassett, Head of Commercial, AstraZeneca; Dr Anne Sinnott, Executive Dean, DCU Business School; and Niall Saul, VP Asavie Technologies.
Dr Janine Bosak, Director of Research at DCU Leadership & Talent Institute called on organisations to understand why gender-balance in leadership matters and to create structures that can achieve it,
“To have a competitive advantage and engage in sustainable business, organisations need to attract, develop and retain the best talent. Women make up almost 50% of the Irish workforce and they are on average better qualified than men these days, yet they are still underrepresented in decision-making roles and leadership positions. One major challenge for many organizations is thus to achieve gender-balance in leadership. This is particularly timely and crucial in light of the accumulating evidence supportive of the business case for gender diversity.”
The recently established DCU Leadership and Talent Institute is the first Irish centre of excellence and learning in the this area. Its members conduct cutting edge research across the broad areas of work and organisational psychology with a particular focus on leadership and talent. Consulting with leading national and international organisations, the Centre provides opportunities for personal and professional growth of established and emerging business and community leaders.
Other speakers at the event included: Gina London, Former News Anchor, CNN as Conference MC; Liam Kavanagh, Managing Director, The Irish Times; Dr. Anne Sinnott, Executive Dean, DCU Business School; Dr. Jane Suiter, Director of DCU FuJo (Institute for Future Media and Journalism); Dr. Jack McCarthy, Director, Executive Development, Boston University; and Prof. Patrick Wright, Director at Centre for Executive Succession, University of South Carolina.
Professor Pat Wright, University of South Carolina, said,
“In a world where companies must compete in customer, financial, and social markets, leaders have the potential to significantly impact firm success. However, the topic of how firms build C-suite leaders has received little research attention. The Center for Executive Succession has been busy filling this gap through identifying the issues, challenges, and best practices for building sustainable leadership.”
Professor Jack McCarthy, Boston University, spoke on A Quest for Global Leadership: Living and leading in a changed world, saying,
“We face a competitive global environment defined by turbulence. Boundaries, borders, cultures, alliances and rivalries are constantly colliding and always in flux. What does it take to succeed in this turbulent landscape? How can we develop leaders who are prepared to act strategically, competitively and responsibly? Developing global leaders who can perform effectively under these conditions to help build sustainable, dynamic and innovative organisations is an enormous challenge. But the opportunities for positive change are equally exciting, immense and profound. This session will share stories of global service programs and learning journeys to engage the larger world to help foster essential leadership meta-competencies for success today.’’