(This letter was first published here on December 5, 2019)
To my Fellow RSM MBA 2020 Cohort
We are nearing the end of what has undeniably been a year of growth, introspection and forming memories that will not be soon forgotten. Where one chapter ends, however, another begins. For some of us, the next chapter has already been written and lies in wait. For many of us, the world beyond this MBA bubble is uncertain and hard to predict. This life-changing year has kicked up a storm and the dust has hardly started settling, making it hard to see what the future holds. As taxing as this uncertainty can be with financial, familial and visa responsibilities looming on the horizon, I urge all of you to practice patience, wait for the dust to settle, and take the time that you can afford to find your passions and pursue them with rigour. We will all end up on different paths, some of us might still switch paths a few times, but one thing is certain — we can all make a difference in this world along the way, and make a difference we must.
The speed at which climate change is taking effect due to our fossil-fuelled global economy is becoming common knowledge. By 2050 it is predicted that sea levels will rise by 0.5m which will have disastrous consequences for some of the most inhabited cities in the world, including Lagos, Jakarta, and Mumbai. Extreme weather events, like the heatwave that hit Europe in 2003 killing over 70,000, are becoming more and more prevalent. These effects will displace billions and result in wars over land and resources. Plastic waste is entering our oceans at a rate of a garbage truck a minute, killing over 1 million marine animals each year. This plastic waste is moving up the food chain and scientists are racing to figure out what this means for human health in a world where 3.5 billion people rely on the ocean for food.
As perilous as this situation might seem, we are not powerless. The ship of humanity has been veering off course for longer than this planet can afford, and we are now slowly taking over with every single one of our hands on the wheel. The responsibility lies with us, as the future leaders of this broken world, to steer this ship back on course towards a sustainable future. Every decision we make in our professional lives puts pressure on the wheel. Every report we write, every email we send, every contract we sign, puts pressure on the wheel. It is now more important than ever for each one of us to think carefully about the decisions we make and be sure we are turning the wheel in the right direction. We need to be bold, we need to be brave, and we need to be conscious of the impact that each one of us has the power to make in whatever sector, country and role we find ourselves in. This world was created by people not much smarter than us and we have the power to change it.
It has been a privilege and an inspiration to walk this MBA journey with all of you. We came together as 37 different cultures and broadened each other’s views more than any other experience could’ve. As the dust on the horizon settles, the exciting future that lies ahead for each of us will start revealing itself. Let’s go out there and be the force for positive change that this ship needs to get back on course.
Yours Sustainably,
Leon
