John Clements Consultants, Inc. (JCCI) recently hosted a conference that both revitalized leadership learning and provided a much-needed mind, body, and soul rejuvenation experience after emerging from the two-year COVID pandemic. Held at the majestic Rocky Mountain High in Colorado Springs, USA, from May 27 to June 5, 2022, the conference focused on environmental and sustainability initiatives, and how this could affect John Clements’ carbon footprint as an organization.
Using mostly case studies developed by Harvard and Professor Ranjay Gulati’s recently launched book Deep Purpose, the conference offered participants a myriad of topics ranging from Authentic Leadership, What’s Ahead for the World Economy, Competing in the Age of AI, Reimagining Capitalism, to Passion and Purpose-driven Leadership. Engaging discussions on sustainability issues, net impact, deep purpose, effective leadership, and effective communication, among others, were generated by case studies that featured Aspen Skiing, IKEA, Danone, JetBlue, and Whole Foods.
Discussion leader, coach and JCCI managing partner Tully Moss imparted his learning points from these cases:
- Companies (such as Aspen Skiing and IKEA) have made conscientious efforts to address sustainability issues. These efforts have included finding the most significant ways in which their respective companies are having a negative impact on the environment and making concerted efforts to redress those situations.
- Despite these concerted efforts to address sustainability issues, the net impact is modest at best.
- Deep purpose is a nice concept, but if it is not coupled by financial performance, you could get fired from your job, as Emmanuel Faber of Danone found out.
- It is easier for companies to have deep purpose as their founding principle (such as what occurred with JetBlue and Whole Foods) than it is for long-established companies to overlay deep purpose on established enterprises (as Danone found out). You can be a great CEO with high purpose, high energy, and high intelligence, but if you do not know and communicate effectively with your board of directors, you still could be out of a job (as David Neeleman of JetBlue found out).
- Board of directors sometimes do foolish things (like what the JetBlue board did when it fired David Neeleman).
Similarly, JCCI President and CEO Carol Dominguez shared her key takeaways from the conference and their relaxing week in Colorado in general:
“We have had a wonderful time exploring all Colorado Springs has to offer! From the Garden of the Gods to golf at the Patty Jewett Golf Course, as well as some wonderful meals and outlet shopping, and, of course, we had morning sessions discussing the Aspen Skiing, Danone, David Neeleman, Best Buy’s Corie Barry, Whole Foods, IKEA case studies and the deep purpose and sustainability initiatives of these companies. It is a challenge to grow and yet instill deep purpose; only a few companies have been successful in doing so.”
As for JCCI’s sustainability initiatives, the company plans to continue educating its employees and review processes, assess vendors and suppliers to check their own sustainability measures, use eco-bags and recycle, and implement thought leadership on sustainability.
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