“I would say even though the term today is not very popular, love the country and love the culture in which you are in. And try to learn about its strengths, don’t focus on the weaknesses, and make sure that all the people you are transferring with you are of the same opinion.”

Business has to play a focal role in sustainability, he says, adding it’s in the interest of businesses to take the issue seriously.

Meeting the sustainability challenge: HCL Technologies
Corporate India is just as committed as Europe and the United States to sustainability, asserts Vineet Nayar, CEO of HCL Technologies Ltd.

“Indian businessmen are global businessmen - they are not isolated in India,” he says. “And the entire economy is global so you just can’t say the economy is isolated.”

Responsible leaders and sustainable growth? How do you develop responsible leaders in organisations that deliver growth?
Are business leaders really buying into sustainable development? According to McKinsey, only 20 per cent of executives feel that sustainability is part of their responsibility.

At the INSEAD Leadership Summit 2008 in Europe, BT plc CEO Ben Verwaayen recounted his experience as chairman of the CBI Task Force on Climate Change in the UK, which consists of 18 CEOs of the largest companies who are responsible for one per cent of the world’s carbon emissions.

Sustainability: A business opportunity
By the year 2040, only 15 per cent of the world’s population will be living in what are now called developed countries. It’s therefore essential for today’s business planners to start focusing on the rest of the planet. Fortunately a strategy centred on emerging markets can be both financially profitable and socially responsible, says Barbara Kux of the Dutch multinational Royal Philips Electronics.

“Developing countries are a fantastic source of opportunities for companies,” says Kux, who is a member of the electronics giant’s group management committee.

Scarcity and innovation: Powering the developing world
Scarcity of resources, scarcity of political consensus and scarcity of financing for innovation. These are some of the major challenges faced by companies in today’s global environment. That’s according to Leif Beck Fallesen, editor-in-chief and CEO of the Danish publication Dagbladet Borsen. Fallesen was the moderator of the first plenary session at the INSEAD Leadership Summit. He said these concerns are highlighted by a growing food crisis (wheat prices rose more than oil prices last year), climate change and decreased foreign investment (down by 9 per cent).

http://knowledge.insead.edu/ILSScarcityAndInnovation080510.cfm

Engaging with Africa: Can business leaders afford to ignore this continent?
After years of stagnation, Africa is finally experiencing economic growth. Are there opportunities in Africa which are not being recognised by the business community outside of Africa?

Africa’s GDP is $710bn which is highly concentrated in South Africa (36 per cent) and Nigeria (16 per cent). Last October, the IMF suggested in a report that Sub-Saharan Africa would grow 6.8 per cent in 2008 compared with growth globally of 4.1 per cent. “Something is happening in Africa,” says moderator Geoff Cutmore, Europe Anchor, CNBC. “Are you participating in that energy?”

http://knowledge.insead.edu/ILSEngagingWithAfrica080506.cfm