Responsible Business Leadership Certificate

For All Gabelli School Master’s Students

At the Gabelli School of Business, we believe that business leaders have a responsibility to ensure that their actions and leadership decisions drive positive global change.

Consumers, investors, and society are demanding more from companies. Stakeholders are looking for companies to be true stewards to the environment, to people, and to society. Due to this growing market demand, compassionate capitalism and sustainable business practices have become an important part of modern industry. There is a clear need for responsible business leaders who are:

  • Conscientious decision makers
  • Ethical in their business dealings and act with integrity
  • Focused on profit with a purpose
  • Dedicated to sustainability
  • Creates an inclusive culture

Gabelli Master’s Students

What will Responsible Business Leadership mean to you?

Fordham University has a rich history as an institution deeply grounded in the ethos of being people for others. The Responsible Business Leadership Certificate program will help you identify your core values and build skill sets that will enable you to lead effectively and responsibly. You will cultivate a growth mindset through self-reflection and define what Responsible Business Leadership means to you.

Steps to Become a Responsible Business Leader

Students are encouraged to participate in all six steps as part of your development as a Responsible Business Leader. In order to receive the certificate and be recognized at the school's annual Graduate Diploma Ceremony, students can complete four of the six steps. Steps three and four are required.

Fall Offerings

  • Your responsible business leadership journey will begin at orientation with a workshop and an introduction to resources that includes the Responsible Business Coalition.

    How You Will Benefit:

    • Network and build camaraderie with your future classmates
    • Define what a responsible business leader is to you
    • Create an action plan to practice responsible business leadership in your own career

  • The connections you make today will have a long and lasting impact on your career. Over the course of a one-night stay at the Fordham Westchester Campus, you will have the opportunity to network with your responsible-business-minded peers outside the classroom. Throughout your stay, you will complete a Strengthsfinder assessment, hear a leadership talk from a notable Fordham alum, and attend a session on Value and Values.

    How You Will Benefit:

    • Learn how to capitalize on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses
    • Reflect on your values and understand how commitment to values can be a competitive advantage in the workforce
    • Practice invaluable strategies that will help you motivate others and optimize team cohesivity

  • Prior to the workshop, you will complete an online DiSC assessment. During this interactive workshop, you will discover how your personality informs your responsible business leadership style. 

    How You Will Benefit:

    • Gain valuable, personalized feedback about your communication strengths and improvement opportunities
    • Increase your self-awareness by understanding what motivates you, what slows you down, and how you can use your unique character traits to solve problems effectively
    • Improve teamwork by understanding how to communicate between team members with different communication styles

Spring Offerings

  • A sustainable mindset is a core component of responsible business leadership. During this workshop, you will deepen your understanding of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues to learn how each element can be used to create long-term value a positive impact. You will analyze the utility of sustainable business to learn why ESG disclosure and reporting is being prioritized by so many industry leading companies.

    How You Will Benefit:

    • Learn how to recognize opportunities for the implementation of sustainable technology to better both the bottom line and the environmental impact
    • Gain an understanding of ESG literacy
    • Examine real-life business scenarios on how to incorporate profit with a purpose grounded in ethics and integrity

  • During an in-depth, one-hour session, you will meet with a certified leadership coach to learn practical, time-tested leadership strategies.

    How You Will Benefit:

    • Reflect critically on your leadership journey, and learn how to overcome recurring obstacles
    • Walk away with a unique and personalized leadership action plan that you can put into practice immediately to improve your leadership competence
    • Uncover hidden techniques for influencing a diverse range of stakeholders – up, down, and sideways in any organization – even without an executive title

  • Each Master’s program will host an individualized workshop led by its program directors. During this workshop, you will learn how to navigate the intersection between your specific field of study and responsible business leadership. 

    How You Will Benefit:

    • Implement techniques for rallying others around a shared vision, securing their commitment, and maximizing teamwork
    • Exercise hard and soft skills that will set you apart in the workplace and the recruiting process
    • Network with experienced professionals and learn about emerging trends in your field