Date of Completion

5-31-2008

Document Type

Open Access Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Peter Taylor

Abstract

In recent years there has been a dramatic expansion of what I call Global Responsibility (GR)-a new dynamic force for change in business, government, and other organizations. GR integrates into one inclusive model the emergent ("fragmented") models generally known as: Business Ethics, Corporate Citizenship, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Eco-Efficiency, Ethics and Development, Sustainable Development, The Best Company to Work For, and others. This unprecedented change, rather than spearheaded internally by management, is pioneered externally by the stakeholders of organizations-including consumers, investors, media, activists and concerned citizens. They are progressively putting more pressure on organizational leaders to change both how companies make their profits and what they do with them. There is an unprecedented need for leaders who are profoundly aware, grounded on strong values, and extremely innovative and effective in creating sustainable development and promoting the common good in today's world. The purpose of my synthesis is to suggest a general framework and a process for designing, implementing, and assessing initiatives for developing key attributes of globally responsible leaders of every type of organizations. An extensive literature has emerged suggesting a variety of leadership models. A common thread in this literature is the tendency to identify, develop and enhance a leader's attributes, or those personal and intrinsic qualities that make an effective leader. These leadership attributes are about: what the leader IS (character, personal qualities, values, motives); what the leader KNOWS (knowledge and skills); and what the leader DOES (style, competencies, behaviors). As existing models do not, in my view, fully satisfy the requirements of the globally responsible leader that I envision, I suggest a responsible leadership model. It is built on Ulrich et al's model and my personal observations and professional experiences in management consulting. My framework emphasizes a set of core attributes that I believe the GR leader must have. These relate to: four Domains of Reflection (Space, Time, Ethics, Global Responsible Citizenship), and four Domains of Action (Defining the strategic direction, Mobilizing the individual commitment, Building individual and organizational capacity, and Modeling the new leader). I suggest also a general strategy for the development of the attributes of the GR leader. It is composed of two main processes: a customized face-to-face learning process and a massive online social networking process. In my epilogue I draw a parallel between the artistic process and the thesis writing process, and reflect upon my emotions and experience of "walking" through the writing of the Globally Responsible Leader.

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