“American Express Leadership Academy 2.0” at Aspen Institute, August 2017
I cannot express in words how lucky I was to be part of an excellent learning and sharing experience like the “American Express Leadership Academy 2.0” at Aspen Institute, Colorado, US (August 2017).
Together with a very talented group of non-profit global leaders, and led by two eminent professors from Columbia University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, we shared knowledge and understanding, role-played and debated on more than 20 leadership philosophies from the antiquity to the most contemporary ones. From Aristotle, Plato, Locke, Luther King, to Tocqueville, Thoreau, Hobbes, Hayek and others, we strengthened our core values and deepened our understanding of how to better address the everyday challenges in our local and global social dimension, as change-makers and professionals.
Trying to understand the balance between individual good versus the common one, knowledge versus ignorance, fear versus love, all in the name of a better life for all, we not only analyzed those philosophies, but also evolved our own understanding.
Usually, it is not easy to find out what is the best in our social contexts, but it is never impossible if we really want to bring about positive change. Believing in change-making, we need to find the balance and the solution whenever a “Trolley Problem” appears. So, if we are led by our core values in the name of what is right and good, everything is possible, as I deeply believe that where there is a will there is a way.
Through the astonishing “Mind, Spirit and Body’ methodological philosophy, the Academy at Aspen Institute was a multi-dimensional learning experience for me as a young Albanian, and as a representative of Atlas Corps Fellows’ Community. I felt lucky I was there, therefore, I find it obligatory to share some of its messages.
Significant messages:
- Self-innovation and self re-dimensioning is a crucial point of success in a dynamic world, -as Sara Jones (TED Speaker) would emphasize.
- Human nature is good and it becomes better by love for knowledge and love for people.
- Human life becomes better if we value Human Rights, self-preservation, the common good, the support to others’ learning and progress, and contributing to a socially just society.
- Living with love and leading with love is the highlight of the messages that I would like to convey to all change-makers and those who believe in the positive change of their own communities and of our joint World.
Once again, I was lucky to be part of this incredible learning experience, which exposed me to Aspen Institute and to significant leadership philosophies, gave me the chance to share with and learn from outstanding global professionals, and especially, inspired me to inspire others, strongly believing in our core values for a better humanity and a better world.
Thank you Atlas Corps for believing in me, American Express for enabling this opportunity, my Host Organization (Making Cents International) for encouraging me, and all global leaders and change-makers that believe in and contribute to our better world.