IQ, WeQ and the Portuguese pioneers

As I spent nearly one week in Portugal for our global management meeting I thought about the concept of the pioneer. Portugal as Europe’s oldest country has a great history and strong culture with global influences thanks to discoverers like Vasco da Gama or Ferdinand Magellan. In the 15th and 16th century it was exceptional to sail around Africa and reach India or to be the first to sail around the world. Today, nearly all parts of the world are more or less known. Still, we have many things to explore in science, business and culture. But do we reach new horizons with a strong leader of the type “adventurer”, who well knows that many of his team will not survive the trip to the final destination?

 Sure, we all need pioneering spirit, courage and a big portion of curiosity to find new ways and horizons. This has been valid before and will so in future. Sometimes one has to go first and start it. Anyhow, I think today it is much more about collaboration than ever in the past. Really big projects like starting the European Union needed a strong “we”. The real big challenges we face today, climate change, political extremism and economic extremism are also just to be solved together. Although everyone might start with reflecting and changing the own behavior, the ideas and perspectives of many are requested to find solutions to the big questions of our time.

Negotiating such big topics takes time, a cool head, active hands, an open mind and energy, but the result will always be worth it. As Europeans, we experience since many years what it means to align 28 different interests in the European Union. Anyhow, in my eyes there is no alternative and I really appreciate the results of the hard work. Studying and working wherever we want, making friends and visiting them all over Europe without borders and collaborating in business so easily is a great success which I am very thankful for. That is why I support the topic for #ZVEI in their board: It is about Europe with us, #EuropaMitUns. I know how port wine tastes in Portugal, but do not know anything how they produce. My Portuguese colleagues know all about manufacturing it and how to serve our customers best in measuring their processes. We share common values and knowledge, do business together and have our local specialties anyhow. That enriches the minds of all of us.  

The shift from IQ to WeQ is not only overdue for important political questions today. In business we are dependent on closer collaboration and the brains, perspectives and hearts of very different people. In our fast-moving, highly interconnected business world we live with daily surprises. Diversity helps us to find the right approaches to deal with the new and unfamiliar. Unique people who negotiate the best solutions for their customers. It takes time, but only together as a strong WE, we will manage the topics of our time. This was the mindset of our global management meeting.

#EuropaMitUns, #ZVEI, #Endress+Hauser