“The Eternal City” is a perfectly appropriate phrase to describe the location of the greatest empire the world has ever seen. Throughout the week in Rome, Italy, we visited the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Vatican City, Hadrian’s Villa, and the first Roman colony, Ostia Antica. Like Athens, I am amazed at the grand structures and the advanced buildings, ideas, and practices of ancient times. A common theme throughout these sites was the pride of being Roman. Each place was extraordinary, created with strategic planning and intricate details, proving that Rome was just as great as it claimed to be. We learned about the leaders that made Rome great, including Julius Caesar, Augustus, Hadrian, and Constantine, and the characteristics that made them exceptional leaders. Caesar’s military campaigns, Agustus’ period of peace, Hadrian’s immersion into everything he did, and Constantine’s promotion of Christianity all played pivotal roles in the continued prosperity of Rome, and their leadership traits apply to global business today. Caesar worked to assimilate the people from the land he conquered into Rome and adopted their customs in those territories. Doing business with citizens of a different country requires you to understand and respect their customs and beliefs and figure out how to respect those while conducting business. One way companies do this is by hiring an employee from that area who is knowledgeable about proper business practices of the country and can help create unity and cooperation between different customs, as we learned from Lorenzo Di Ciaccio from Pedius.
Beyond the historic structures, everything else in Rome is also grand, and football games are no exception. A highlight of my week in Rome was attending my first-ever “soccer” match, played between Roma and Atalanta in Stadio Olimpico. Roma fans were incredibly devoted to their team, waving flags of all sizes throughout the game and singing every word to their anthem in unison while they held up their Roma scarves. It was incredible to see the pride fans had in their teams, and it gave me chills as I compared this atmosphere to the one in Kyle Field. The environment was electric an hour before the game began and held throughout the duration of the match. Beyond being a fantastic experience, attending this game furthered my realization that to be educated and culturally sound, you must get into new environments and experience what the local people love. It is easy to say Kyle Field is the best atmosphere in sports if you haven’t been anywhere else, but having witnessed the fans of the A.S. Roma team, they would certainly challenge that claim. Seeing the world is essential to being a great leader and citizen in America and vital to being a leader on a global scale.
