5 Lessons in Longevity from the 1,000 Year-Old Camino de Santiago Trail Across Spain

According to legend, around 830 AD, a priest in the northwest corner of modern day Spain heard reports of strange noises and lights coming from the hills outside his church, so he decided to investigate. He found a grave and declared it to contain the remains of Saint James (San Iago in Spanish). He built a shrine that would eventually evolve into a church and cathedral. Visitors started to arrive as word about the shrine to one of Jesus' disciples spread. Around 950 AD, a bishop from Le Puy in modern day France walked about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to see the shrine for himself, becoming the first pilgrim (peregrino in Spanish) from outside the Iberian peninsula to walk on the way (camino) to Saint James (Santiago) - a pilgrimage trail since known as the Camino de Santiago.

Over the next 1,000 years, pilgrims from all over the world walked the network of trails that became known collectively as the Camino de Santiago. Even through many wars, plagues, and other challenges in European history over those centuries, pilgrims kept coming. In 2019, over 300,000 pilgrims completed at least the last 100 kilometers of the trail.

Relatively few things in human history have survived for over 1,000 years, like the Camino has. Here are 5 secrets to longevity that other organizations can learn from the Cami

1 - Have a Clear, Shared Goal - Many people walking the Camino share the same, crystal-clear, goal - reaching the end of the trail at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela - the city of about 100,000 people that grew around the original shrine to St. James. Arrows all along the trails point to the same end point in Santiago de Compostela. Some share the distance remaining to reach Santiago de Compostela, which give people a sense of their progress to their goal. Because the trail is so well marked, pilgrims are free to enjoy their surroundings instead of needing to keep their nose buried in maps and guidebooks to avoid getting lost.

LESSON - Having a clear, shared goal ensures that people march in the same direction.

2 - Celebrate Success - When pilgrims reach their goal, they qualify for a certificate noting their achievement. They qualify for this certificate by showing another document, their pilgrim credential, with stamps all along the journey proving their journey. (see below) This certificate (see right), written in Latin, is called a Compostela. Many pilgrims display this proudly in their home. Many note it on their resume or LinkedIn profile. In previous centuries, the Compostela even showed the recipient had earned an indulgence for the forgiveness of sins.

LESSON - Celebrating the successful achievement of goals motivates people by giving them a tangible signal of what success looks like.

3 - Communicate Shared Values - Pilgrims are expected to live by shared values while they are on the Camino. They are expected to respect the people and places they encounter along the Camino. They are to respect those who have come before them and those who will follow them on the trail. In some cases, these values are documented, such as on the official Peregrino credential issued by the American Pilgrims on the Camino (pictured above). In other places, these values are passed along by word of mouth. These values help ensure that people get the best experience they can during the Camino.

LESSON - Capture your organization's shared values in a concise document that can easily be shared. These values can provide a glue to keep the organization together as it grows and evolves.

4 - Build Supporting Logistics - The Camino grew steadily since those first pilgrims started walking it in the 9th and 10th centuries AD. One reason the Camino thrived was because supporting logistics in the form of villages, hostels, bridges, and roads developed over that time to support pilgrims along their journeys. Pilgrims came partly because they knew they would find support along the way. There were people providing support along the way because they knew there would be pilgrims coming to use and pay for that support.

LESSON - Investing in capacity as early demand grows can be essential to helping a market grow to its full potential.

5 - Record History - Word of mouth spurred the growth of the Camino for its first few centuries, attracting pilgrims from modern day Spain, Portugal, and France. The popularity of the Camino rapidly expanded across Europe after a book about it came out around 1140 AD called the Codex Calixtinus. Most of the book was about Saint James, but one part of it was dedicated to describing the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It included details about logistics that helped pilgrims plan their journeys. It even mentioned a trade in souvenirs. Many regard it as the first printed travel guidebook in the world. After the popularity of the Camino had waned to just a trickle by the 1970s, another guidebook emerged in the 1980s from a priest who lived along the trail. Since that book came out, many other books about the Camino have emerged and fueled interest. Some have even evolved into films.

LESSON - Having a document to share can accelerate the power of word of mouth advertising.

Few things in the world thrive for over 1,000 years like the Camino de Santiago has. By applying some of these lessons, you might help ensure the longevity of your enterprise too.

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About the Author: Victor Prince is a corporate trainer, executive coach, and an Amazon Top 20 best-selling leadership author who helps organizations build leadership, strategy, communications, and critical thinking skills. His book, The Camino Way: Lessons in Leadership from a Walk Across Spain (HarperCollins Leadership, 2017) is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook, and in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Follow Victor on LinkedIN to access his 100+ articles on leadership, strategy, learning & development, and more. 

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