I stumbled across this video of four global leaders talking about education. Yes, it’s from Davos (yawn), but addresses the importance of education as a vehicle for empowerment. Honestly, one of the best way to learn smart things is to listen to smart people go deep on a topic. Here is a conversation between:
- Otit Gadiesh, chairman of Bain and Company
- Fabiola Gianotti, director-general of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada
- Malala Yousafzai, girls education activist and Nobel prize winner
Below the video link, you will see that I transcribed a few quotes that really caught my ear. It reminded me of how management consulting is an amazing education (after your formal school-education). Learn how to learn. Think about your thinking.
Orit Gadiesh (Bain) (Min 0:00-2:00)
“Education is a precondition for empowerment, but it’s not sufficient. Education informs us, shows us how to reach for the stars. Empowerment gives us permission to do so.”
“[Elite institutions] have an affect. . . Their graduates have come to believe that the stars are actually within their grasp. They have the education and feel empowered.”
“Looking ahead, an increasingly important marker of good education is that it inspires people to learn new things . . .population will have to learn to do jobs that do not exist today. That means that our education systems will have to empower them to adapt to whatever new careers emerge. People of all ages will have to want to, and believe that they can meet these challenges through continuous learning.”
Fabiola Gianotti (CERN) (Min 18:40-22:15)
“CERN brings together 17,000 scientists representing 100 nationalities. . . the peak is at 27 years old, and 40% of scientists are under 35 years old. . . and 60% of these people go into private sector”
“Skills [they learn at CERN] are analytic thinking, critical thinking, international collaboration, communication, partnership, flexibility.”
“For me, a good education . . . is an education that gives young people the skills to address the world market, address the challenges of life. These tools are general tools: critical thinking, understanding the importance of the scientific method, evidence-based assessment (being able to distinguish between real news and fake news). . . People should get the skills to be able to change their skills.”
Perhaps this is where a lot of us (readers of this blog) might feel a little bit grateful. Thinking like a consultant, presupposes an aggressive attitude to learning, growing, teaching, and challenging ourselves. It’s tiring, but isn’t that the learning life that we signed up for?
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