Envisioning a world of courageous leaders with Dr Pamela Hartigan

Sunway University recently invited Dr Pamela Hartigan, Director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford to present a talk under the Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Speaker Series (TSJCDSS). Dr Hartigan who is one of the world’s leading proponents for social entrepreneurship, presented a talk titled, “Needed: Courageous Leaders to Rethink Business and Charity”. The talk covered how the 20th century models of leaderships are no longer appropriate to adequately address the increasingly complex and interconnected world we live in today and how to break away from this out-dated way of operating, using 21st century models of leaderships as we evolve to become better leaders.

Dr Pamela Hartigan during the talk at Sunway University recently.

Referring to the nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty”, Dr Hartigan said, “I believe we are living in a Humpty Dumpty world where a good many of the king’s horses and king’s men are scrambling to put Humpty back together again because they lack the courage and vision to do otherwise. But there is a growing movement of men and women, with imagination, commitment, persistence and a very strong ethical fibre who are working furiously to ensure that the Humpty Dumpty model is transformed and replaced with a pathway to achieve economic and social justice and arrest the destruction of this planet. We are in a very interesting phase of new thinking and experimentation and we must seize this huge opportunity which is why the beginning of this institute of social entrepreneurship is so important,” referring to the establishment of the Sunway Institute for Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) by Sunway University earlier in the day.

A member of the audience asking Dr Hartigan a question during the Q&A session.

Dr Hartigan explained how over the last few years, citizen movements have risen to new heights in shaping the new status quo, propelled by the newest technology that connects them to one another around the world. The many protests and movements in the past have highlighted various plights of the people that have each demanded the same thing worldwide; a systematic change that would provide greater dignity, transparency, participation and access to opportunities but the current government, corporate and foundation leaders responded to the situation by continuing their business as per usual. “For me this is where entrepreneurial approaches to social economic and change come in. This new approaches are the harbingers of the new types of organisational and business models that our compartmentalised world so sorely needs in order to integrate where we make our money and where we do good,” she added.

Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah presenting Dr Hartigan with a token of appreciation at the end of the talk.

160 students, teachers and members of the public attended this talk. The TSJCDSS is a way Sunway University gives back to the community and public by encouraging lifelong learning and intellectual empowerment. Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, Founder and Chancellor of Sunway University, is passionate about providing quality education to all and seeks various methods to empower the community through education. Through the TSJCDSS, the public is presented with an opportunity to listen to a series of experts speak on a vast array of topics. Sunway University has also conducted many socially responsible activities in the past and is on a mission to contribute to society through education.