Feature story
The significance of ethical leadership transcends beyond individual organizations and has a far-reaching impact on the world. Such leaders must prioritize fundamental values such as honesty, transparency, and integrity, as they play a crucial role in building trust, fostering respect, and facilitating cooperation on a global scale. The impact of ethics can manifest in various ways and make a significant difference.
Daou reflected on the launch of Globethics’ five-year strategic plan focusing on ethical leadership, sharing that Globethics is a diverse and multicultural community of 200,000 individuals from 138 countries.
“The world we live in is full of uncertainties, as highlighted by the recently published United Nations Human Development report titled ‘Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives.’ In such challenging circumstances, it is most dangerous for humanity to doubt itself and its own future. During discussions with young people, we have heard concerns about the challenges facing education, the environment, the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence, and the devastation caused by wars. However, these challenges should not lead to worry, but rather, they should serve as a call for each individual to take responsibility. This is why the new strategy of ‘Ethical leadership through higher education and global engagement’ has been developed,” shared Daou.
He talked about the strategy's three fundamental principles: creating innovation to achieve transformative effects, mobilizing resources for long-term sustainability, and enabling communication that empowers. According to Daou, these pillars seek to cultivate thought leadership, raise funds for successful strategy implementation, and make ethical leadership a transformative power of hope.
"People are really anxious and concerned about the future of the world due to sustainability issues, fragility in labor, and limited access to the market, among other situations that create concern and anxiety. In this framework, we have studied the available data and analyzed it. Therefore, we believe that Globethics has a strategic reason to respond to these issues and help the younger generation to maintain hope. This is why we promote the idea of ethical leadership, with our tagline 'navigating life' that came out with our strategy. We want to send the message that ethics can help us navigate through difficult situations and storms because we will always have a lighthouse to guide us, providing hope and belief that, despite these challenges, we can make our world a better place,” said Daou.
He talked about the four thematic priorities of the strategy: Ethics and Standards in Higher Education, Ethics of Sustainability and Environmental Justice, Ethics of Digital and Emerging Technologies, and Ethics of Inclusive Peace and Responsible Governance. Daou elaborated that these thematic priorities reflect the need for ethics to be at the heart of quality assessment in higher education, environmental justice, emerging technologies, and responsible governance. He shared that Globethics aims to achieve several targets by the end of the strategic period in 2027, including engaging 1,000 higher education, civil society, faith-based, and international organizations with the priorities, reaching over 2 million users of Globethics Library and Publications resources, thousands of students and leaders benefiting from courses and executive trainings, and hundreds of policymakers committing to the priorities.
Daou also shared regarding Globethics' plans to launch the Globethics Award for Ethical Leadership, with the first edition scheduled to take place in 2024.
"As you may have noticed, we are currently in the process of creating the rules and mechanisms for this award. I am pleased to share with you, for the first time, that the award will have two parts. The first part is the Global Ethical Leadership Award, which will be given to a person or institution that can serve as a model of ethical engagement for the world. The second part of the award is dedicated to youth, as we want to demonstrate to the world that there are still ethical leaders and institutions working towards a just and sustainable world. Our aim is to showcase examples of these leaders who are engaged at the highest level,” said Daou.
Commenting on the effectiveness of ethical leadership, Daou said that an ethical leader can help address global issues, promote global cooperation, raise awareness about human rights and dignity, encourage creativity and innovation, bolster global reputation, and work toward establishing a sustainable future for everyone. Such individuals recognize the significance of working together to improve the world.
“It is time now to weigh anchor. Let’s get on board, with our ethical leadership caps on, and enjoy the journey!” concluded Daou.
Join the journey - Inspiring ethical leadership, decisions and action for the common good