Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas encourages business leaders at the 2018 India CSR Leadership Summit
Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas, Cornish campaigner, author, academic, board adviser and Adaptation chairman has been honored by India CSR with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his “outstanding contribution to the CSR space” and “in appreciation of his excellent contribution to the worlds of Corporate Governance and Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR)” at the 2018 India CSR Leadership Summit and Awards held in New Delhi. According to the citation: “He has been making a difference and creating a positive impact among business leaders across the globe.”.
In a recorded message Prof Coulson-Thomas told delegates at the CSR Leadership Summit “There are probably more opportunities to have a beneficial social impact in India than anywhere else on our shared planet. Today, there are also more possibilities for social entrepreneurship than perhaps at any time in human history. We stand simultaneously at multiple cross roads, tipping points and watersheds. In many areas, incremental change may not be enough. You are in a unique position to provide leadership, inspire creativity and enable innovation. For those who want to have an impact, leave a legacy and make a difference this is arguably the best time ever to be alive.”
Coulson-Thomas issued a call to business leaders: “There is an urgent need for leadership and leaders who can leave footprints of hope in the history of human development and erect signposts to a better future. There are aspirations to be raised and capabilities to be assembled to match them. There are people and communities to be supported and helped. There are dreams to turn into realities. You can be in the vanguard of re-connecting, refreshing and reinventing. You can champion responsible business leadership. You can exude caring capitalism. Your enterprises and foundations can build bridges with excluded communities and between the generations and the public and private sectors. They can replace anxiety with hope, by helping those who fear certain developments to identify the possibilities they create and benefit from them. ”
The author of Winning Companies; Winning People advocated positive action: “Don’t waste a second of your time or that of the people for whom you are responsible on trivia or the transient. Don’t lurk behind imaginary prison bars, or be limited by dated assumptions, ingrained habits or past experience. Don’t let negative instincts, risk aversion or a compliance culture snuff out ideas or limit imagination. Incurring risk is evidence that you are alive and trying to accomplish something. Try to ensure that all corporate conduct and activities are acceptable, appropriate and responsible. ”
Rusen Kumar, Founder and Managing Editor of the India CSR Group said, “The India CSR Lifetime Achievement Award is an acknowledgement of Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas’s contributions to the areas of corporate responsibility, social and sustainable development, and human resources. We wish him a happy and healthy life ahead to carry on with his mission to make a positive contribution to the larger good.”
The 2018 India CSR Leadership Summit and Awards took place in the Lakshmipat Singhania Auditorium at PHD House, New Delhi. India. Because of a prior commitment to speak at global convention and world congress in Dubai for which he had provided the theme paper, Prof Coulson-Thomas was unable to attend the event in person. Pradeep Chaturvedi, Vice President of the Institute of Directors and the World Environment Foundation received the award on his behalf.
Prof (Dr) Colin Coulson-Thomas, Chairman of Adaptation and President of the Institute of Management Services has helped directors in over 40 countries to improve director, board and corporate performance. He is the author of of over sixty books and reports, including Winning Companies; Winning People, Developing Directors, Transforming Knowledge Management, Talent Management 2 and Developing Directors: a handbook for building an effective boardroom team.
Prof Coulson-Thomas leads the International Governance Initiative of the Order of St Lazarus and is Director-General, IOD India, UK and Europe, Chair of United Learning’s Risk and Audit Committee, Chancellor of the School for the Creative Arts, Honorary Professor at the Aston India Foundation for Applied Research, a Distinguished Professor at the Sri Sharada Institute of Indian Management-Research, Visiting Professor of Direction and Leadership at Lincoln International Business School and serves on the advisory boards of Bridges of Sports and the Arvind Foundation.
An experienced chairman of award winning companies and process vision holder of successful transformation programmes, Colin has held UK public appointments at local, regional and national level and professorial appointments in Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East, India and China. He was educated at the London School of Economics, London Business School, UNISA and the Universities of Aston, Chicago and Southern California. He is a fellow of seven chartered bodies and obtained first place prizes in the final exams of three professions. Details of his most recent books and reports can be found on: http://www.policypublications.com/
27/04/18