| As we move forward after the monumental year of 2020, we can all be assured of one thing: 2021 will continue to challenge governments, organisations, leaders, teams and employees. The after-effects of 2020 will be felt in boardrooms and factories the world over, driving new ways of working, spurring on greater intra-industry collaboration and necessitating the repositioning of business structures and workflows.
Our role as a leading business school from Africa in this changing social and business landscape has never been more essential as we can provide both the anchor and the beacon that will guide students and the broader business community into a prosperous future.
The SDGs factor strongly in how we approach the shifts taking place around the world, from the issue of Decent Work and Economic Growth (goal 8) to Responsible Consumption and Production (goal 12). Our lens in responding to the global crisis in 2020 must be to think about short-term responses to challenges as well as long-term opportunities. We recognise that we have a responsibility to assist our students and clients in addressing the health of their careers and their businesses, because only when careers and business are healthy can we begin to inspire our students, alumni and their businesses to flourish.
The closure of companies around the world has underscored the critical nature of business as a force for good and as an essential component in ensuring the well-being of humanity. At GIBS we have a vital role to play in helping businesses and our clients to improve the health and longevity of their organisations at this pivotal time. While the world around us may be changing, we continue to believe unwaveringly in the higher purpose of business and its critical importance to the functioning and health of society. This is why, in the years ahead, we will continue to partner with our clients and students to learn from the events of 2020 and to position themselves to effectively and strategically shift their businesses in the face of unprecedented disruption.
As a school, we stand for improving society. Our ongoing focus is on significant and continual improvement to responsible individual and organisational performance. We are also evolving all the time. As we are living through a time when we must continue to learn from the past and prepare for the future. In the face of unprecedented change on a global scale, it is equally important that as leaders in business and society we have the competencies to learn in the present in order to lead effectively in a changeable today.
At GIBS, our role is to help companies and individuals seize this moment to shift, strategically, towards a new tomorrow. We are passionate about guiding businesses and individuals through shifting landscapes, equipping them with the tools to navigate change and embedding the strategic and ethical depth required to mould impactful and socially responsible companies. |
