Q6. Thinking of the broader agenda, what is the one hope you have for 2021?

• Leaders should learn that we will need to partner together to get through the impact of COVID-19 in the short and long term
• Less individualistic society
• Lessons will be learnt and behaviours will change
• Sustainability industry proves resilient in the effort to maintain focus on the climate crisis, even in the wake of this crisis
• Put well-being and the environment at the heart of the emerging economies/societies
• Collaboration will be the most important thing - no individual company has sufficient leverage for collective problems
• CSR will have an increased focus to address key stakeholders (this will include responses to the societal issues)
• The COP26 is a raging success
• This will be a reset button 
• A return to economic growth 
• That businesses and governments get into addressing climate change with a new more active and positive lens and with greater urgency
• Citizens make purchasing decisions aligned with their values
• The new definition of leadership is interconnectedness
• That we need to be more specific when we demand change
• We do not forget what we have lost, those who ahve suggered and those who have sacrificed and risked their lives for the benefit of society
• Faith that humanity will awaken to the systematic problems that are our own creation and will substantially change the situation
• Seize the opportunity to shape the new together
• Climate crisis is put at the core of all government policy and decision-making as we rebuild
• Business leaders come together as a cross-industry community to challenge the status quo
• Greater awareness at all levels of the serious issues facing the world
• Reallocation of financial resources - invest money in industries/companies with social and environmental purpose
• Ability of gov., private sector and individuals to take fast and radical action will be applied to address the climate crisis and global issues
• That citizens will become much more active stakeholders in the value chain
• That as many purpose-led companies that are/were in the process of proving the viability of the new business models survive
• Leaders become more of a coach than a manager - encouraging and empowering 
• Maximise the use of technology
• Sense of co-responsibility and interconnection of issues, organisations and people
• Integrated leadership 
• A system that combines the short with the long term and is capable of creating value for all stakeholders
• Greater equality
• CEO's adopt an ecosystem approach to their organisation and stakeholders that is connected to the world
• Time to act on a new system change with SDGs as the focus

Q5. What lessons in resilient leadership – both corporate and other organizations – are coming out of COVID-19?

• Risks have to be acted on and not just identified
• Diversity in leadership brings better insights and preparedness
• Don't ignore scientific warnings
• The importance of compassion
• Open, transparent communication about challenges posed by the crisis is crucial
• It is not enough to develop crisis management plans, those plans must be implemented
• Resilience comes from preparedness and planning, combined with courage and flexibility
• Risk management needs to consider events like this
• Don't be afraid to admit wrongs, publically
• The ability to move employment from one function to another
• Focus on your strengths as a company and this can influence how you create value over time
• The need for strong inter-dependent relationships with stakeholders that goes beyond the norm of employees, shareholders and customers
• Long-term thinking, planning and strategies
• The importance of built in redundancy
• Resilient leadership 
• Business needs to go beyond working towards quarter to quarter financial performance - long-term plans
• Sustainability and resilience cannot be silo-ed topics - they must be extended throughout the organisation
• The need for agility 
• Understanding the diversity between managing risks and facing/dealing with uncertainty
• Need to be dynamic and flexible as well as diverse

Q4. Post-crisis, how will expectations for purposeful corporate leadership change? What are the implications for businesses that lead with purpose going forward?

• The need to understand, articulate and strategically plan around purpose will be essential to businesses
• Expectations by stakeholder group will vary - implications will depend on prioritisation of stakeholders 
• Greater demand for purposeful businesses from consumers
• The need for purposeful leadership will shift from the ESG/CSR area to the core of business
• Businesses will increasingly be under scrutiny from all stakeholders, to ensure they are environmentally and socially conscious
• Opportunity for businesses to establish leadership positions in sustainability, particularly in countries where it is less developed
• A rise in the emergence and/or significance of pre-competitive collaboration with industries
• Expectation of consistent focus and real action related to purpose will be essential and in demand
• Responsibility and leadership will be viewed through a global lens - broadening the efforts of sustainability to the supply chain and distribution
• Activating purpose
• Emphasis on COLLECTIVE impact
• Revisiting strategies and maximising digitalisation
• Purpose shift from aspirational promise to imperative action
• Greater expectation for stakeholder-centric impacts
• Business ethics, purpose and leadership will higlight sustainability as core and a driving force for firms
• The importance of re-thinking concepts - how to move sustainability forward

Q3. What are examples of unexpected and impactful collaborations that have arisen in the response to the crisis?

• Manufacturers retooling and building ventilators and PPE (Tesla, Dyson, GM etc.)
• UCL and Mercedes F1 are developing a ventilator prototype
• Video engagement platforms are the new normal - behaviour change 
• Governor of NY State encouraged collaboration across the state to balance supply of doctors, equipment and facilities with the demand
• Question of job functions have arisen as a result of working from home
• Hotel partnerships with CVS, Walgreens, supermarkets, food manufacturers to shift labor into food production, distribution centres, etc.
• Innovation - E.g. development of different types of ventilators and potential solutions for vaccines
• Start ups responding by adapting their products to help with the crisis
• School teachers using online platforms to deliver online learning to students
• Worldwide Hackathons connecting change makers across the globe
• Expertise and resource sharing by large companies to help small businesses, NGOs and citizens 
• South Korea sharing their IP and expertise with multiple countries
• Mobile companies acting together to guarantee connectivity
• John Lewis has seconded staff to Waitrose

Q2. What’s holding some organizations back from taking even more impactful action on the crisis? What are some barriers from doing more?

• Fragile finances e.g. decline in revenues and complete cut in bonuses
• Lack of insightful leadership
• Focus on rich countries, not poor
• Balancing care of employees and care of greater community
• Lack of systematic thinking in companies
• Uncertainty about the future (e.g. the length and impact of the crisis) and survival through the crisis
• Lack of global governance
• Challenge of thinking beyond the NOW
• Lack of coordination between organisations and governments
• Disruption in the supply chain
• Low financial resilience
• Employees are impacted by the crisis (tired, confused, confronting emotional impact)
• Lack of close relationships outside of businesses, wth NGOs, suppliers, partners etc.
• Balancing financial needs with purpose-led initiatives leads to strain on small-medium sized businesses
• Lack of preparation and flexibility
• Accountability post-crisis
• Organisations may be bound by governmental priorities
• Uncertainty on the financial crisis
• Difficulties of collaboration
• Businesses operating in crisis management mode 

Q1. What are some additional examples of effective purposeful corporate leadership in addressing the COVID-19 crisis? 

• BP offering free fuel to emergency services
• H&M committed to paying suppliers for for orders that were already placed but can no longer be uased in stores
• Whitebread plc diverted 65,000 meals to charity to help with those most vulnerable
• L'oreal producing antibacterial gel
• LVMH manufacturing masks to help with shortages
• iIKEA has donated across markets to help furnish hospitals/quarantine centres
• VISA CEO has pledged not to have any COVID-19 related lay-offs in 2020
• Unilever donating $100m of soap, hand sanitiser, bleach and food to communities globally
• Companies (in general) shutting stores and outlets during early stages
• Food delivery services (e.g. UBER Eats/Deliveroo) offering deliveries with no delivery charge
• Pop up test centres in by retailers e.g. CVS Health
• Airlines now transporting COVID supplies 
• Grocery stores designating hours for vulnerable citizens