A new executive education programme designed to enable organisations and individuals to refine, enhance and action effective sustainability strategies is to be launched by Imperial College Business School later this year.
Beginning in October 2023, the Executing Sustainability Strategies programme will run in collaboration with Imperial College Business School, Centre for Responsible Leadership and Leonardo Centre on Business for Society.
By combining expertise across the college, the programme will be able to accurately assess immediate business and climate needs, and use these insights to support participants in executing effective sustainability transformation plans, enhancing their understanding of the connections between economic and environmental success, and building the communications skills necessary for creating compelling business cases for implementation.
Frank Brueck, head of the Leadership Lab at the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society, said: ‘Integrating sustainability into your organisation’s goals and vision isn’t just nice to do; it is key to creating long term value, refining your organisation’s purpose, and mobilising the whole organisation to ensure your efforts can transcend the perils and pitfalls that lie ahead. ‘This new programme will leverage the full power of Imperial College Business School to help participants upgrade their organisations’ existing sustainability strategies and implement them for optimal impact.’ Participants will be required to come into the programme with either an existing sustainability plan or strategy in place, or to have one under development. Over a three month period, they will be guided in refining, upgrading and enhancing their existing strategy, considering new approaches, and creating a workable execution plan to implement it effectively. Kevin Corley, professor of management in the Centre for Responsible Leadership at Imperial College Business School, said: ‘Having a strategy, even a well thought out one, is not enough on its own. How you then, as a leader, implement that strategy is an altogether different skill and poses a separate organisational challenge. Leaders must be able to gain buy in, and enthusiasm, from key stakeholders for their sustainability strategies to succeed and deliver the impact they desire. ‘On this programme, participants will work to enhance those strategies and learn what makes them effective as a leader when it comes to implementation, allowing their education to make an impact from day one.’ Participants will benefit from the very latest learning technologies and methodologies, from engaging in innovative online modules and virtual sessions, to dedicated on campus learning, projects and activities. The curriculum has also been informed by feedback from industry and past participants of the school’s award winning Sustainability Leadership Programme, which was recognised by the Financial Times as addressing ‘some of the most important issues for promoting sustainable development’, earlier this year. Modules will range from developing a leadership mindset, exploring barriers to strategic sustainability implementation, exploring new HR processes, and understanding assessment, measurement and analytics. Participants will also be invited to develop a more sustainable mindset through meditation throughout the programme. Built into each module is a focus on non-cognitive learning methods, with guided meditations designed to provide a better ability for self reflection. Frank Brueck said, ‘Our own research through the Leonardo Centre shows that the practice of meditation boosts mindset changes towards sustainability and self awareness of thoughts and emotions. This in turn enhances our capacity to process information and make more effective, rational decisions. Because of this, throughout the programme, there will be an optional meditation track, designed to help participants develop a sustainable mindset towards making lasting change.’ In order to ensure each sustainability strategy remains on track, participants will also receive continuous coaching and mentoring both throughout the programme and for a six month period afterwards. Interested applicants can visit the Imperial College Business School website for further information.