General, Leadership

South West Growth Service (SWGS) were delighted to host an event at Dartington Hall, sponsored by their partner Triodos Bank UK, exploring how organisations could create reilience through Ethical Leadership.  The event, with 20 organisations from across the South West, listened to some exceptional insights from Pete Russell  - Founder of Ooooby.com,  Isabel Carlisle - Director of The Bioregional Learning Centre and Phill Bate - Regional Manager of Triodus UK.

"We were delighted with the range of ideas covered by the speakers and the inputs of the delegates", said event convenor and SWGS Director Chris Lorimer, "which surfaced multiple reasons on why Ethical Leadership is not a "nice to have" but an essential component of how business leaders should behave if they want to provide long term direction, connect with clients and build a sustainable culture within their organisation."

Pete Russell (pictured), founder of Ooooby.com - a company which is building local supply chains for food delivery retold his business' journey where he and colleagues had to recognise the importance of following  the long view versus the quick route to growth through supplier relationships with large commercial organisations. "The trouble is", Pete said “they don’t meet people, they meet numbers”.  Whilst in the short-term, growth might be constrained, long term value was built through linking with local suppliers who connected with the long term vision.

Isabel Carlisle explained the approach of The Biregional Learning Centre which creates connection through communities with the goal of achieving long-term climate resilience. "Working in and at the intersection of economy, ecology, learning, arts and culture and the gaps in between", said Isabel, "we would encourage people not to do what’s expected, but to do what’s right”.

Phill Bate of Triodos Bank UK cited the purpose of the organisation as outlined by CEO Bevis Watts "We can no longer measure success purely in terms of growth when our resources are finite. We can work harder to create a global economy that works better for people and planet.”  Triodos have consistently applied this principle and will only lend where organisations can show social benefit.