At SDA Bocconi, Business Ethics is designed to be more than a theoretical exercise confined to the classroom. This year, as part of the Full-time MBA’s Diversity & Inclusion Week, the course evolved into a more immersive experience: three days of interactive activities followed by an optional field visit designed to bring classroom concepts into real organizational contexts.

As Clio Gressani, Executive Fellow of Sustainability, explains, “together with my colleague Urs Mueller and the MBA Academic Director, Stefano Pogutz, we have further developed how we teach Business Ethics and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” — consolidating the learning journey into a dedicated week that allows students to engage more deeply with the topic.

The realization of this immersive experience was led by the MBA Ethica Club, under the presidency of Sarah Abou Abdallah, who strongly advocated for making the initiative the Club’s flagship event. Driven by the conviction that ethics must be lived rather than discussed in abstract terms, the Club worked closely with the faculty to bring the project to life.

The destination chosen for this immersive experience was San Patrignano, one of Europe’s largest residential communities dedicated to recovery and social reintegration for people overcoming addiction. The goal was clear: challenge assumptions, confront biases, and allow students to witness an alternative organizational model in action — one that also embodies a powerful form of social entrepreneurship, combining economic activity with deep social impact and community-based governance.

Challenging biases: from category to person

A central theme of the course is understanding how our cognitive systems work — how fast, automatic thinking generates biases that shape our perceptions before we are even aware of them. “We all tend to have biases related to addiction,” Clio explains. “The question is not whether we have them. The question is: what do we do with them?”

The visit to San Patrignano was a powerful way to create new associations — to move students from category to person, because “when stereotypes are replaced by names, faces and stories, judgment gives way to understanding.”

For many MBA participants, that shift happened almost immediately. Sarah recalls a conversation with one of the residents: “I realized that we are not as different as we think. The line between ‘us’ and ‘them’ is much thinner than we believe.”

That realization — deeply personal, yet universally relevant — became one of the most powerful takeaways of the experience.

A model of community and accountability

The idea behind the initiative was simple and urgent: ethics cannot be delegated. In Sarah’s words, “ethical practices are not something that you delegate to the DEI team — it’s something you live and breathe every day in your role.”

San Patrignano’s organizational model differs significantly from that of profit-driven organizations: residents enter after interviews, are assigned to working teams, and commit to a structured path. Work, discipline and excellence are core. Through repetition and high standards, residents rebuild self-esteem and learn to take pride in doing things well.

What makes the model particularly striking, however, is the strength of the community dimension. Those who are further along in the program mentor newcomers; decisions about daily life are often taken collectively; accountability is shared but never diluted; the community builds responsibility through everyday practices; Mistakes are openly acknowledged and turned into opportunities for growth. Clio summarizes this as “psychological safety at its best — you can show your vulnerabilities and build from your mistakes.”

Leadership begins with how you show up

The experience also reframed what leadership means for future managers. As Clio teaches, leadership is grounded in curiosity, courage and genuine vulnerability.

At San Patrignano, students moved beyond the idea of mistakes as a sign of weakness, discovering instead that vulnerability can be a starting point for growth. Leaders within the community — residents who have progressed further in their journey — guide others precisely because they openly acknowledge their own past failures and ongoing challenges.

Sarah says she was particularly struck by a talk delivered by Antonio Boschini, Head of Therapeutic Practices at San Patrignano and a former resident himself. Reflecting on his own journey, he described how personal accountability played a crucial role in his recovery. For Sarah, the message translates seamlessly into managerial life: “You are responsible for the way that you show up. And the way you show up impacts the people around you.”

Beyond the ivory tower

For SDA Bocconi’s MBA, initiatives like this reflect a broader educational philosophy: ethical leadership cannot be formed through frameworks alone. It requires exposure to complexity, to human stories, to organizations with different purposes and logics.

“Once you experience it firsthand, it takes on a different depth,” Clio reflects. What students encountered at San Patrignano was more than a simplified narrative about addiction or redemption, it was a sophisticated organizational ecosystem built on discipline, mutual accountability, and community support.

The visit challenged assumptions about merit, failure and second chances. It prompted reflection on how organizations can create environments where people feel valued, responsible and able to grow. And it reinforced a simple but powerful idea: inclusion is not a policy — it is a practice.

At SDA Bocconi, we see ethical leadership as the very foundation of good leadership — the kind that creates value because it is grounded in values. And it begins with how individuals choose to show up — for themselves, for their teams, and for the communities they serve.

SDA Bocconi School of Management