Little Prince facing the king: bringing consistency in our choices

I love "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Despite initially encountering it as an adult, the narrative resonated profoundly with both my professional undertakings and personal journey. I've revisited its pages five times since that initial reading, each occasion unveiling fresh emotions and interpretations.

With this in mind, I took my daughter to see a kids' version of the story. I was curious about how she would react to a story that holds so much meaning for adults. It turned out wonderfully. The actors did a fantastic job, and the play was tailored perfectly for their young audience in a special children's theater. But the most important message remains the same: seeing the world with your heart, not just your eyes, is something that applies to everyone, no matter their age.

Now, let's talk about the king in the story (the one in the picture below). He lives on the first asteroid the little prince encounters on his journey. He's the only inhabitant and he loves to be in charge, giving orders and feeling like he "owns" everything around him. As I perceive it, the chapter centered on him, encapsulates a host of leadership attributes within few pages – motivation, authoritative presence, goal-setting, and performance assessment, alongside adaptability and attentive listening. All of this is presented in a way that's kind of funny, but it resonates differently with each of us, depending on our personality, preferences, stage of development.

One part that my daughter really enjoyed (and I want to talk about) was when the king tried to retain little prince on his planet by offering him some weighty roles: Minister of Justice, Economy, Finance…(on the stage the actors went even further than the original story where only one job was offered to make it understandable for the kids). Our hero, however, declined the offer, seeking a vocation more aligned with his own desires and definition of happiness.

This image resonated deeply also with me as it mirrors a focal point in my activity: aligning people's dreams and strengths with the company's vision. It's not about dictating their path, but rather cultivating an ecosystem where they can authentically realize their potential. And just like for the little prince, this can greatly influence their decision to stay in the organization

The approach may not be immediately straightforward or intuitive. It suggests that we set aside our inclination towards actions generating instant gratification. This involves:

• Placing a high level of trust in two directions: Trust in the process itself and its ability to yield meaningful results. Trust in the people within the organization, believing they will find a suitable path. This should be the standard (after all, why have we hired them?) with our full support to enable educated decision-making.
• Proactivity: We act when people are joining, not when they're departing. It goes even further, involving anticipation as we prepare the organization to be appealing to the potential talents in the market.

• Consistency: Establishing a system, rather than sporadic moments, that upholds and nurtures your values and dynamics. This fosters a sense of belonging among your colleagues.

I'm still in the process of navigating the journey between successes and failures. However, with a touch of curiosity, I enjoy every step of the journey.

"The Little Prince" remains, for me, an endless source of emotions and insights. I'll pause here for now, or I might find myself writing an endless article. In the meantime, is there a particular part of the story that resonated with you and would you like to share it?