This past week has been an incredible experience exploring Athens. This city just represents so much of how our world is shaped to this day. Being in the place where arguably the greatest minds questioned the norm and discussed philosophy, science, math, democracy, and more, has been surreal. To not just hear and learn but to be in the presence of where it took place takes the learning experience to the next level. I have learned so much about the culture of Ancient Greece. Being a global leader, we must have qualities that go beyond what we imagine a typical leader has. We must be able to have difficult questions like Socrates, discover our souls and our ethics like Plato, and critically think like Aristotle.
One thing I was surprised about was how welcoming and calm and friendly the locals were to us. As Americans, we live a very fast paced life and are constantly on the move and frustrated because we never slow down. The people of the community walked slower, had time to smell the roses and appreciate the world around them. Even though their community is overrun by us tourists, they welcome us and have the patience to teach us their language and about their culture. In our scavenger hunt, we talked to a man in his store and he was happy to ask our questions, I am not sure if the same would happen in America.
My favorite place to visit was the Panathenaic stadium. Specifically because it related to the favorite story I learned, which is the battle of Marathon. In this battle, the Greeks were outnumbered by the Persians but with logical planning, came out winners and one man ran a marathon to share the victory. It was said the place of the stadium is where he collapsed from his journey. I love the symbolism it has and has continued to create now the unity of different countries to this day.
My top takeaways from my time studying in Greece has been how to flourish as a business leader and a person as a whole. We need to have our own moral compass and values, but have the ability to be questioned and have uncomfortable conversations to do business globally. As a leader, we need to foster innovation and cultural intelligence. To do this we sometimes need to set aside our American pride and way of thinking to span our boundaries and reach places we never even thought were possible