How do you build community when your colleagues are located around the world? Can you use technology to break down physical barriers and still provide a sense of connection and belonging? These were questions we set out to answer as we planned our virtual Global Team Meeting this year.

Inspired by the rapid pace of change many of our colleagues and community members are experiencing, we themed our time together around ‘Socially Responsible Leadership in Action: Living Our Values in an Ever-Evolving World.’ Our goal was to develop practical strategies for ethical, empathetic decision-making and make meaningful connections between team members who don’t often get to work together.

Here are a few things we learned that sparked collaboration, fostered friendship, and helped everyone grow as socially responsible leaders.

1.    Design with Purpose—Beyond the Agenda

We set clear intentions for our meeting. We wanted our CIS team to devote time not just to business, but to develop together as socially responsible leaders. 

We had three objectives for our global team meeting:

1. Help our team evaluate ethical scenarios and practice empathy through decision-making
2. Connect socially as individuals
3. Embed sustainability as part of the event design

2.    Be Inspired

We started our meeting with a session to uplift and engage our team of 60 around the world. We invited a speaker from the membership community to share a story that embodies the values we strive to cultivate.

Dr Marta Medved Krajnovic, our newest board member and Head of Western Academy of Beijing, shared a powerful example of student agency, describing how the #FOEN25 initiative was entirely organized by students, reflecting their leadership and creativity.

CIS members can read more about this initiative in Western Academy of Beijing’s Socially Responsible Leadership Learning Story in the CIS Community portal.

Hearing from a school leader about student-driven change set the tone for our next professional development session. Highlighting real-world examples of leadership from our membership community brought the topics closer to home for our team.

In our next session, we divided into small breakout rooms to evaluate thought-provoking ethical scenarios. Discussions helped our global team consider alternative perspectives and hear from colleagues we don’t work with every day. Together, we created visuals to represent our decision-making processes, sparking meaningful discussions and insights into applying empathy in our work. It was important to us to make space for personal growth and reflection as part of these sessions, not just project updates.

3.    Foster Real Conversations & Have Fun

One of the most engaging moments was our sustainable exchange auction during our social hour! Team members brought their creativity to the table, offering items ‘for sale’ and placing bids with their own unwanted items. Individuals would showcase their item on camera, in a creative fashion, and anyone could place a bid. Highlights from the auction included homemade jam from Romania and a collectible spoon from Neuschwanstein Castle. The CIS team’s sustainable exchange wasn’t just creative—it underscored our pledge to use resources thoughtfully and lead by example. We will all exchange our items next time we see each other.

4.    End with Gratitude

We wrapped up our meeting with informal networking, ‘breakout roulette,’ where our small teams of 3-4 people were randomly paired for brief, friendly chats with some funny prompts. These impromptu conversations replicated the spontaneity of office life and fostered new friendships across the organization. We noticed that fun, low-pressure moments like this build trust and leave lasting memories.

While we miss being together in person, our virtual team meeting was a success!