Dr. Rae André presented in the Inspire! Forum on Leadership
On Tuesday, March 23rd, Georgia College Leadership Programs hosted Dr. Rae André, noted sustainability educator and environmental activist. André presented in the university’s Inspire! Forum on Leadership and also led a workshop for educators from across the country on “Teaching Climate Leadership.” Georgia College hosted both events in partnership with the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) and the Management & Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, of which André is past president.
André, who is professor emeritus at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business, is the author of Lead for the Planet: Five Practices for Confronting Climate Change.
Dr. Rae André, professor emeritus, Northeastern University
André stresses the urgency for “team humanity” to act fast in our efforts to minimize global warming. The most effective and time-sensitive way to produce change is to focus on innovation, according to André. In Lead for the Planet, she lays out five practices for individuals and organizations to combat climate change.
- Get the truth.
- Assess the risks.
- Weigh the stakes.
- Define the business of business.
- Engage global leadership.
“We need all the leaders we can get. We must acknowledge human being's strengths and weaknesses as decision-makers,” says André. “We need to focus on what we can do for climate change.”
We need all the leaders we can get. We must acknowledge human being's strengths and weaknesses as decision-makers.
Rae André, professor emeritus, Northeastern University
André urged participants to think deeply about the businesses they support. To students in particular, she encouraged them to consider how their own values might comport with potential employers. “Are businesses pursuing weak sustainability (for their organization) or strong sustainability (for the planet)?” asked André. “Work for a company that values what you value for sustainability.”
André’s forum marks the final in the Inspire! series for the 2020-21 academic year. Next year’s series will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Inspire! Forum on Leadership is Georgia College’s presentation-discussion series on leadership for the public good. Presenters are distinguished executives in private enterprise or hold leadership roles in the public sector and share the university’s commitment to leadership for the public good, whether in business, the non-profit sector, or public affairs.
For more information, please visit gcsu.edu/inspire. A video-recording of André’s forum is available online.
