The Questions We Carry — Meet GRLI’s Guardians

What does it mean to cultivate a global conscience when our experiences of the world are shaped by such different places, histories and realities?

In The Questions We Carry, we introduce the people who serve as Guardians of the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), sharing something of the experiences, questions and commitments that shape their understanding of global responsibility.

We begin with Jeff Thies, Clinical Professor of Management and Director of the Institute for Business Ethics and Sustainability at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

From California’s changing social and environmental landscape to his work across different sectors, Jeff reflects on human flourishing, the dignity of every person and the possibilities of collective learning.

At the heart of his understanding of Guardianship is the idea of GRLI as “a community of shared discernment” — a space where different experiences and perspectives can inform and challenge one another in pursuit of greater global responsibility.

In Jeff’s own words…

The experiences that have shaped me

I have been shaped by my experience as a Californian.

I grew up in a landscape undergoing dramatic demographic and economic transformation, changing from an agricultural state to one characterised by great metropolitan centres.

California is perched in a fragile ecosystem that routinely struggles with drought, fire, air quality, ocean health and multiple issues of environmental justice. It has also been transformed demographically, bringing together cultures and people from around the world, working towards becoming a community or, in the words of our founders, e pluribus unum — out of many, one.

Another important context is California’s global influence through innovation and business practice, particularly in technology and entertainment — Silicon Valley and Hollywood.

My life has also been informed by my education and professional roles. Higher education is my fourth industry.

I have worked as an executive in healthcare and marketing, and began my career in the non-profit sector, working and living in Mexican immigrant communities in Southern California. These experiences were also the focus of my graduate work.

Throughout my career, I have been challenged to understand business as a force for good and to build business practices that enable human development.

The questions I carry

The main questions I carry have always centred on the flourishing of the human person, inclusion and social responsibility.

I return to the importance of honouring the dignity of each person and paying particular attention to those who are marginalised and most vulnerable to social and environmental risks.

These concerns continue to shape how I think about leadership, responsibility and the contribution that business and higher education can make.

What Guardianship means to me

As a Guardian, I have sought to be part of — and help develop — a network of thought partners, a community articulating a global conscience for social and environmental responsibility.

I come to the Guardian Group as an American, with the geopolitical and economic complexities of the United States as the immediate context of my work and its application.

For me, the Guardian Group offers a voice of insight and challenge informed by diverse global contexts. These perspectives educate me and help frame the shared context for our work as Guardians.

I see GRLI and its Guardian Group as a community of shared discernment, committed to building a Partnership that can catalyse meaningful action.

My experience as one of the people who worked together to launch the GRL4ST Collaborative Course is an important example of the opportunities for shared work and the building of our global community.

As GRLI develops, we are strengthened by further collaborations and by the connections we continue to build across our Partnership.

The Questions We Carry: An invitation to Guardianship

Jeff’s reflections are part of The Questions We Carry, a series introducing the people who help steward GRLI’s purpose, values and continuing inquiry into global responsibility.

Their experiences and perspectives are different, but their work as Guardians rests on a shared commitment to collective stewardship, constructive challenge and learning with others.

GRLI is inviting nominations for new Guardians from across its full institutional Partnership.

We welcome people who bring their own experiences, questions and commitments, and who are willing to contribute to — and learn through — this collective work.

What questions do you carry, and what might you help make possible together with others?

Explore the Call for Guardians and the invitation to express interest.