In the recent Top Gun sequel, Maverick (Tom Cruise) succeeds once again in an almost impossible mission. He is called to this new mission for two reasons: he has a deep understanding of how to fly supersonic fighter jets in complex conditions, and he is comfortable with “stretching the rules” by proposing innovative, and sometimes risky, approaches.
In the recent Top Gun sequel, Maverick (Tom Cruise) succeeds once again in an almost impossible mission. He is called to this new mission for two reasons: he has a deep understanding of how to fly supersonic fighter jets in complex conditions, and he is comfortable with “stretching the rules” by proposing innovative, and sometimes risky, approaches.
But Maverick demonstrates not only great technical skills, but also strategic and leadership skills. He defines the direction to take and places knowledge of the environment and team’s motivation and dynamics at the top of priorities for the success of the project.
The challenge of sustainable management is for Top Guns. Managers are asked not only to define, but above all to implement strategies to support the noble and fundamental purpose of excelling in the triple bottom line “People, Profit and Planet”. They are asked to form and pilot their organizations in an innovative way, making them supersonic in the field of sustainability. The mission is not impossible, but it is truly challenging.
The challenge of sustainability is for Top Guns. Because transforming a company into a sustainable organization often implies acting across the entire organization, knowing the value chain in detail, designing profound changes in the product/service, but also in the entire supply chain, production, marketing, communication, and not only.
The challenge of sustainability is for Top Guns. Because implementing a mission change with such a transversal impact implies having the commitment and motivation of all employees, who will implement the strategy. This often implies changing the culture, designing new reporting structures, defining new incentive systems, promoting new forms of leadership. And it implies motivating and having the buy-in of other internal and external stakeholders, without whom the desired strategy will not have any effect.
The challenge of sustainability is for Top Guns. And there are few courses on the market that prepare Top Guns. That address the issue of sustainability in an integrated manner, giving participants the necessary 360º view of organizations; that ensure a good understanding of the most traditional and fundamental areas of a company (logistics, finance, marketing and people management) but also of more current and disruptive topics (digital innovation, blockchain, analytics, among others); that promote personal development leading to a deeper self-knowledge, but also a better understanding of others, what motivates them, and the importance of creating strong and aligned teams for the success of any mission; that provoke discussions about the role of each part of the value chain in the transversal implementation of a true sustainable business model.
The challenge of sustainability is for Top Guns. Only excellent training prepares Top Guns.
MBA programs that truly integrate the topic into their curriculum are an excellent way to prepare the Top Guns of sustainable management.
Renata Blanc is Director of the International MBA.
