Davos 2020. Sustainability in focus.
2019 I visited Davos and the World Economic forum for the first time. As you can see I met Greta Thunberg and had a long talk with her and her father. They were quietly walking the streets of Davos and not many people noticed them. For me it was a life changing moment to hear their family story. Being a father of a boy of 7, I had a serious inquiry with myself: what will he say when he becomes 16 and ask me: What did you do to save the world? Then I remembered what Ghandi said: “Be the change you want to see in the world” and for me it means walk the talk. Be a role model.
My most important core value is future generations and what was so thrilling and exiting was to meet the future generation in Davos. Listen to them. What is it they want from future leaders? What is it they want from their future employers? You might think you know how these young people think, but you don’t. I thought so too, but I am was wrong. They speak out. They’re natural entrepreneurs. They project confidence. They’re inclusive. They make up about half of the workforce, so it is time to shift focus from how to lead Millennials to how Millennials can succeed as leaders in their own way. I you allow Millennials to create their own style of leadership they will have a powerful impact on their companies, communities and the planet.
Greta and Christopher in Davos 2019
Only in one year since I was first in Davos the shift towards sustainability and climate change, as a business to have a noble purpose and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, which we need to reach within 2030 was on everybody’s lips. So just in one year there has been a major shift in consciousness of what is important. Being a Norwegian, I am proud to say that we are the world champions when it comes to gender equality, diversity and inclusion. The lost opportunity of not embracing and accelerating female leadership is RIDICULOUS. On the Female Quotient Lounge in the Promenadenstrasse we could hear what why. That is why I already in 2003 decided to have this is as my main working focus as a leadership coach.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
It gives hope and trust to come home after such an event. Hope that we as Homo Sapiens individually and collectively co create and live together in one world on this planet. Since this is the only one we have. The future is a different country. They do things differently there and since that is where we will spend the rest of our lives we just might consider what is it that we will have to do differently. I am convinced that we most of all need to manage the SDG number 5 first. Every female on this planet have the birth right to the same opportunities as every male. The male masculine patriarchal left brain orientation based on individual merits is the greatest show stopper for the feminine values; the collective intelligence, the long term thinking, we do this together, the mutual way of empower and unfold. They all disappear the old hierarchical organization that is ready for the scrap heap.
You might think that Davos is only for the elite and the super rich? Certainly not. I for sure am not one of them and that is the case for most of the others who were there and created some very memorable days and great connections. So see you next year.
Christopher