TEACH - First Year Purpose and Sustainability Seminar

All of the students who take part in the Master in Management (MiM) Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris follow Purpose and Sustainability modules throughout their studies. In particular, the Purpose and Sustainability seminar opens the first-year Commitment Path.

The objective is to train to purpose and leadership by experience and humanities and to invite them to reflect personally on their own search of meaning and on how to become a "responsible leader".

Reflecting on questions of purpose requires a movement away from a merely, scholarly logic to a process of authenticity, sharing and responsibility. This is made possible, among others, by Purpose & Sustainability opening seminar. The latter is twofold.

Even before the new first-year students set foot on campus, they met for a four-day learning expedition in Chamonix. There, the students follow an itinerary through the valley and the mountains, culminating at the glacier, marked by activities and encounters. They operate in small teams and also engage in broader formats. The proposed experiences address a multitude of subjects related to leadership, purpose and sustainability.

The itinerary encompasses:

A night in a high-altitude refuge and an exploration of glaciers or high-altitude ecosystems (themes: frugality, climate disruption).

An initiation to rock climbing (themes: the experience of being in a rope team, trust).

A rescue exercise (themes: collective response to emergencies and uncertainties, solidarity).

Conferences and dialogues with local stakeholders (theme: commitment).

During this seminar, students explore 3 dimensions of the leadership:

• “Be yourself”: Purposefully lead self – Authenticity axis
• “Be with”: Purposefully lead others – Team leadership axis
• “Be for”: Purposefully lead organizations – Mission axis

Social and environmental issues were also brought to life for the students, especially during their unforgettable experience learning about the retreat of the glacier in Chamonix and hearing insights from leading climatologists.

"The students come out of difficult, studious years of preparatory classes, and we wanted this seminar to be both a breath of fresh air and a way to open up their horizons." Julie Thinès, Academic Director of the Grande Ecole Programs.

Back on campus, the students revisit the experiences lived in Chamonix and, in small groups with a tutor, reflect on the questions it raises - when it comes to organizations, social and environmental issues, as well as on a personal level. Alongside their tutor, they also prepare for their upcoming experiences and share their lines of thought.

They also continue their journey through a series of conferences nd working sessions, framing and enriching their reflection. Several interventions complement this back-to-school program. They Relate to the two major themes of the curriculum:

• Firstly, the meaning, leadership, purpose, and personal and organizational commitment, through plenary conferences by executives and testimonials from members of associations, executives, and social entrepreneurs. Those inspirational business leaders recount how, in all circumstances and despite the conflicting demands of a given economic environment, they have tried to be themselves, to be with their teams and be faithful to their corporate mission. The students can appreciate the authenticity and depth of the testimonials, including those from Antoine Frérot (CEO Veolia Environnement), Hubert de Boisredon (CEO Armor), Antoine Lemarchand (CEO Nature et Découvertes), Christopher Guérin (CEO Nexans), and Emery Jacquillat (CEO Camif Matelsom).
• Secondly, social and environmental issues ("sustainability") are explored through three expert conferences, which indeed serve as prerequisites for the course "Planetary Challenges."