Practical humility: Back to basics for tomorrow's leaders
In our quest for rapid success and optimum performance, we sometimes forget the essential virtues that underpin sustainable and respectful growth. Humility, a value rooted in patience and respect for the process, is one of these fundamental qualities that is often overlooked in the corporate world. Yet teaching it could radically transform the way we train tomorrow's leaders.
So I'm proposing a bold initiative for executives and talent managers:
To organise hands-on immersions where our young professionals, particularly millennials and generation Z, work hand-in-hand with farmers.
These internships would offer an invaluable insight into what it means to work hard and achieve results that are not always immediate or guaranteed.
Imagine the transformative potential if our future leaders spent a few days in the rice fields, learning how to plant, tend and harvest under the tutelage of those who deeply understand the vagaries of nature. This direct contact with humus, this 'mother earth', would be a living lesson in humility, teaching them the value of time, perseverance and resilience in the face of the often unpredictable elements.
As a leader, encouraging and organising these experiences would be a bold step towards developing your talents holistically. It's not just about teaching them a skill or technique, but offering them an inner transformation that redefines their relationship with work and effort.
I urge you to give this approach serious consideration. Not only will it enrich the career paths of your talents, but it will also anchor a corporate culture based on mutual respect, collaboration and, above all, profound humility. Returning to the land is not a step backwards, but a foundation for moving forward with wisdom and discernment.