My wife, Janis, and I recently returned from a fabulous vacation in Italy, where we experienced the rich culture of Florence and Venice, learned about the history of Rome and Pompeii, and met the genuinely friendly Italians, who, after I would say, "Grazie" (thank you) in my broken Italian, would always respond with a warm, "Prego" (you're welcome).
In addition to enjoying ourselves on vacation, I believe we should always learn something useful when traveling. So, today, I’m sharing the three lessons I brought home from Italy. (Janis and me pictured right at the Roman Coliseum.)
1. We need to inspire and support our youth. Michelangelo sculpted the David when he was in his 20s. At that time he was an unknown artist, but a rich patron took a chance on him. After seeing it, I realized the importance of identifying and supporting today's budding geniuses. I think the Doritos brand does this well -- encouraging today's youth to exercise their creativity through exciting contests, like Crash the Super Bowl.
2. Societies rise when their first concern is the welfare of the people, and fall when it isn’t. To prepare for our trip, I read an abridged version of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, which deeply enriched my experience viewing the Roman ruins. The book is a real potboiler and demonstrates how societies built "for the people" grow and prosper, while societies run by self-serving dictators are doomed for failure. To me, Frito-Lay's strategic pillars of supporting employees through servant leadership and doing its part to support environmental sustainability are good business applications of those principles.
3. Optimism is the foundation for success. You can almost sense the optimism and confidence of the early Roman emperors and great inventors, like Leonardo da Vinci. I do not define optimism as merely "wishful thinking." But rather, I define it based on what I experienced being part of the Frito-Lay culture: The emotional foundation of having a plan and executing it. Very few things work right the first time, and optimism leads to perseverance, which increases the likelihood that, sooner or later, you’ll achieve your goals.
So, those are the three lessons I learned from our Italian vacation. Oh, and I did learn one more thing: In Pompeii (pictured at left) I ordered a cheese pizza, and the waitress said, "Margarita." I said I didn't want a Margarita to drink; I wanted a cheese pizza. She repeated, "Margarita." Fortunately, our tour guide jumped in and explained to me that in Italy, and in many other countries, a cheese pizza is called a Margarita, named after the Queen of Italy who loved them. A fourth lesson, I guess!
So, next week I'll order a Margarita at my local Italian restaurant and see what I get. Either one will be OK with me.
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