am inima!”/ “I found my heart in Câmpulung Muscel!” George Leca –„Un cal are 14 cai putere!”

„Un cal are 14 cai putere!” GeorgeLeca A II-a parte 2nd part

În edi]ia trecut\, în prima parte a interviului acordat revistei noastre, domnul George Leca ne-a vorbit despre Chief of Transformation, func]ie de]inut\ în cadrul ReThink Romånia, despre fundraising [i despre cum se finan]eaz\ proiectele în care activeaz\, despre AVE, Academia de

“One horse makes 14 horsepower!”

Management {colar, despre programele BRIO [i EDU Networks, despre SuperTeach [i România Educat\, despre curaj [i vitez\ [i despre Horse Eye. În aceasta nou\ edi]ie, ne va vorbi despre programele transforma]ionale, despre leadership [i antreprenoriat [i, evident, din nou, despre cai.

In the first part of the interview, published in the previous issue, Mr. George Leca told us about the Chief of Transformation position he holds at ReThink Romania, about fundraising and how the projects he coordinates obtain funding, about AVE – The Leadership and Educational Management Academy – about the BRIO and EDU Networks programs, about SuperTeach and România Educat\, about speed and bravery and about Horse Eye. In this new issue, he speaks about transformation programs, leadership and entrepreneurship and, of course, about horses once again.

Calul este un animal aparte sau putem extrapola acest comportament [i la alte animale?

De[i am avut tangen]e [i cu alte animale, eu nu m\ pricep la câini, la tigri sau la alte animale. Dar exist\ ni[te tr\s\turi certe care deosebesc calul de alte animale, chiar [i din aceea[i specie. Calul are o organizare social\ diferit\ de cea a zebrei sau a m\garului, cele mai apropiate rude ale sale.

În lume exist\ dou\ categorii de fiin]e: pr\d\tori [i prad\. Caracteristica fundamental\ a unui pr\d\tor este oportunismul. Un leu, chiar dac\ este s\tul, va omorî alt animal dac\ va avea ocazia. Calul nu va profita niciodat\ de sl\biciunea ta. Organizarea social\ a unui pr\d\tor este legat\ de teritoriu, pe cånd cea a calului este bazat\ pe familie, pe grup. Ei, spune]i-i asta unui instructor de echita]ie din România, care ]ine caii în cu[ti separate, [i începe calul s\ mu[te [i nu [tie de ce.

În general, în lumea animal\, grupurile sunt conduse de exemplarul dominant. La cai exist\ arm\sarul care se reproduce –calul cu cea mai scurt\ via]\, pentru c\ el asigur\ [i securitatea grupului, r\måne la coada grupului, st\ pav\z\, iar conducerea grupului va fi asigurat\ de al]i cai. Nici m\car nu conteaz\ sexul calului. Conducerea va fi asigurat\ de acel cal care men]ine pacea în grup, de cel care conduce grupul la ap\. Dac\ ar fi s\ traduc acest comportament în termeni de management, a[ zice c\ au un leadership fluid. În companii, leadership-ul informal se poate duce c\tre oamenii care î[i asum\ leadership-ul, iar cultura organiza]ional\ împinge în fa]\ un anumit tip de leadership. Din punctul meu de vedere, cel mai bun leader e acela care este suficient de flexibil pentu a trece organiza]ia pe care o conduce prin diverse situa]ii, potrivit dinamicii grupului.

De exemplu, dac\ inten]ionez s\ m\ angajez undeva, impactul meu asupra companiei respective va avea dou\ componente: motiva]ie [i know-how. La angajare motiva]ia mea e mare, iar know-how-ul e mic, pentru c\ nu cunosc din interior organiza]ia. Dac\ liderul grupului m\ încurajeaz\, înseamn\ c\ vrea s\ m\ motiveze, dar eu am deja motiva]ie. Eu am nevoie de la el de focus, pentru a-mi cre[te motiva]ia. În acel moment eu m\ risipesc. Liderul nu trebuie s\ dea o motiva]ie când nu e nevoie de ea. Cu alte cuvinte, un leader trebuie s\ fie fluid, s\ se adapteze situa]iei.

Când ia foc o cas\, nu e momentul s\ spui „face]i ce vre]i!”. Într-o situa]ie de criz\, trebuie s\ fii directiv, s\ fii un troliu, s\-]i Are horses one of a kind or can we observe similar behavior in other animals as well?

Although I’ve dealt with other animals as well, I’m no expert in dogs, tigers or other species. However, there are some traits that distinguish horses from other animals, even within the same species. They have a form of social organization that is different from that of zebras or donkeys, their closest relatives.

There are two types of beings in this world: prey and predator. The distinguishing mark of a predator is expediency. Even if he’s already eaten, a lion will still kill another animal if he gets the chance. A horse will never prey on your vulnerability. The form of social organization seen in predators relies on territory, while horses base theirs on the family, on the group. Now tell this to a horse riding instructor in Romania, who keeps horses in individual cages –they begin to bite, and he has no idea why!

In the animal world, groups are, in general, led by the dominant individual. In the horse world you have the stallion, responsible for the breeding – he has the shortest life because he guards the group from the rear – while the group will be led by the horse who maintains peace within the group, the one who guides them towards the water. The sex of the individual doesn’t even matter. If I were to translate this behavior in management terms, I would

Un instructor de echita]ie î]i va spune s\ domini calul! Ce s\ domini? Po]i doar s\ comunici cu el! A riding instructor will tell you to dominate the horse... What’s there to dominate?! You can only communicate with him!

say horses employ a fluid leadership strategy. In companies, informal leaders can be those who want to take on these roles, where the organizational culture encourages a certain leadership strategy. In my opinion, the best leaders are those who are sufficiently flexible to sail through various situations, paying attention to group dynamics.

For instance, if I want to get a job somewhere, my impact on said company is comprised of two elements: motivation and knowhow. In the beginning, my motivation is high and my know-how is lacking, because I don’t know the organization from the inside. If I receive encouragement, this means the leader wants to motivate me. But I’m already motivated! What I need from him is focus! The leader should not motivate others when this is not required. In other words, a leader should be flexible, he should adapt to the situation.

When the house is on fire, that is not the moment to let everyone do their own thing. In a crisis, you need to be assertive, you need to take responsibility for the necessary actions. If you’re fighting fires, don’t bother with democracy!

The horses are good with this. If the situation changes, they pass leadership to the horse best suited to lead the group in that specific context.

How do these things work? There are studies regarding equine therapy, and several universities offer this specialization – the Sorbonne, for instance. There are doctors who specialize in equine therapy and psychology –in our country as well. In Timi[oara, Erika Weisz has been doing equine therapy for 25 years, with exceptional results. She works with kids and convicts.

There also exists an international organization for equine-assisted education, relying on sociology and psychology. As I said before, horses are empathetic animals, they tune in to the energy of their “interlocutors” – they can understand a goose or a cat just as well. And there’s also this drive to have a dialogue. How do they do it? By assessing the interlocutor’s response. If you are present and attentive to a horse’s reactions, you can learn a great deal, because horses are constantly trying to communicate. Since they belong in the “prey” category, they are fast to make decisions. Their senses are very developed – they can hear you breathing, they can hear your heartbeat, they notice how dilated your pupils are, how wide your eyes are opened, your facial expressions, your posture, the movements of your hands, your gait… Horses notice all of these things, not to mention their sense of smell…

A horse’s hearing is twenty times better than a human’s. In a fraction of a second, a horse gathers all of this information.

Because of this spectacular sensory devel-

asumi ac]iunile. Dac\ e[ti pompier, las\ democra]ia deoparte. Caii [tiu s\ fac\ asta. Dac\ mediul se schimb\, ei paseaz\ leadership-ul c\tre calul cel mai potrivit s\ conduc\ grupul în momentul respectiv. {i cum func]ioneaz\ aceste lucruri? Exist\ studii care privesc terapia cu cai. Exist\ multe facult\]i de medicin\ care au ca specializare terapia cu cai (Sorbona, de exemplu). Exist\ medici specializa]i în psihologia [i terapia cu cai. Exist\ [i la noi terapie cu cai. Exist\ la Timi[oara o doctori]\, Erika Weisz, care face de 25 de ani terapie cu cai, cu rezultate excep]ionale. Face terapie cu copii [i de]inu]i. Exist\ [i o organiza]ie interna]ional\ de educa]ie asistat\ cu cai, bazat\ pe sociologie/psihologie. Cum am mai spus, calul este un animal empatic, preia starea individului din grupul lui, în]elege [i o gâsc\, [i o pisic\. Apoi, are acest „drive" de a lega un dialog. {i cum face asta? Încearc\ [i vede rezultatul. Dac\ e[ti prezent [i atent la reac]iile lui, po]i înv\]a foarte multe de la cai, pentru c\ ei încearc\ tot timpul s\ comunice. Fiind în categoria „prad\”, iau decizii rapide. Are sim]uri foarte dezvoltate, aude cum respiri, cum î]i bate inima, vede cåt de mare e pupila ta, cåt de deschis e ochiul, expresia fe]ei, postura, mi[c\rile degetelor, vede cum mergi... Vede toate astea, le aude, le simte – ca s\ nu mai vorbesc de mirosuri… Un cal aude de 20 de ori mai bine decåt un om. Într-o frac]iune de secund\, calul are toate aceste informa]ii despre tine. {i, pentru c\ are sim]uri dezvoltate, poate lua [i decizii rapide. Natura l-a înv\]at s\ ia acele decizii care tr\deaz\ inten]ia [i nu dorin]a, pentru c\ pr\d\torii disimuleaz\, se prefac. Calul e capabil s\ disting\ între pref\c\torie [i inten]ie. E una din lec]iile pe care le pred\m la seminar.

Cum func]ioneaz\ un seminar?

Avem sute de scenarii. De exemplu: e[ti manager numit, ai o echip\ nou\, trebuie s\ lucrezi împreun\ cu grupul t\u, nu ai timp s\-]i cuno[ti echipa, dar trebuie s\ livrezi rezultate imediate. Într-un astfel de scenariu, caii pot fi echipa (un om poate s\ lucreze cu [apte cai deodat\). Ce [tie calul? Într-o companie, fluxul proceselor de munc\ nu are nicio importan]\ intrinsec\. Exist\ doar importan]a pe care o dau utilizatorii. Procesul în sine nu are importan]\, oamenii îi confer\ importan]\. În aceste scenarii e important comportamentul oamenilor fa]\ de obiecte. Calul vede acest lucru [i, fiind empatic, preia comportamentul oamenilor. În]elege importan]\ pe care ei o acord\ acelui lucru sau proces. E uimitor pentru oameni s\ vad\ cum calul î[i intr\ în rol. Calul e empatic [i î]i d\ feedback direct.

Am mai multe modele de seminarii. Cel mai frecvent model de educa]ie asistat\ de cai este cel de leadership, unde vin oameni din board-uri de companii, manageri de proiecte sau echipe de management. În aceste seminarii sunt exersate no]iuni legate de mindset [i de comportamentul individual, de cultur\ de organiza]ie [i de cultur\ na]ional\. Caii au experien]a diferitelor grupuri cu care am lucrat. Fac 20 de seminarii pe an, de opt ani de zile. Caii deosebesc diversele culturi. V\d grupuri de francezi, de englezi, de nem]i, de romåni [i se comport\ diferit în func]ie de cultura lor na]ional\.

Caii au ni[te a[tept\ri. {tiu cât de directivi, cât de fermi [i cât de clari sunt membrii unui grup etnic. Sunt atåt de de[tep]i încât au a[tept\ri culturale. În aceste seminarii vedem stiluri de leadership – vedem încrederea dintre membrii echipei, vedem aten]ia la nevoile clien]ilor, vedem cum comunic\ între ei, cât de simplu, cât de clar comunic\ între ei, vedem gestionarea puterii, vedem gestionarea presiunii... Vedem enorm de multe lucruri. Toate aceste lucruri se filmeaz\. Un astfel de seminar este asistat de o echip\ de 6/7 oameni – doi traineri, câ]iva oameni care aduc caii [i cå]iva cameramani care filmeaz\ tot ce se întâmpl\. Într-o echip\ de [apte avem [i handover de imagine, robo]i care filmeaz\... Regimurile de lucru, modul în care sincroniz\m grupurile, toate procesele sunt asistate de calculator. Pentru antrenamentele sofisticate, punem câte o centur\ de puls, atåt pentru cal, cât [i pentru c\l\re]. Interesant este c\ pulsurile lor se sincronizeaz\.

Noi nu facem advertising, totul este "word of mouth". La un moment dat, a venit spre noi o firm\ celebr\ de avoca]i, care ne-a spus c\ vor s\ dobåndeasc\ aptitudini pentru a fi mai aten]i la nevoile clientului. opment, a horse can make decisions fast. Nature has taught horses to react in a way that betrays the intention – not the desire –because predators conceal, they pretend… But the horse can distinguish between pretense and intention. This is one of the lessons we teach at the seminar.

What happens at a seminar?

We explore hundreds of scenarios. For instance – you are a manager working with a new team, but you don’t have time to get to know the team members, because you have to bring results immediately. In such a scenario, horses can act as your team members. One can work with up to seven horses at once. What will you learn from the horses? In a company, the flow of work-related processes has no intrinsic importance. There is only the importance that people attach to it. In such scenarios, people’s behavior in relation to objects is of great significance. Horses see these things and, because they are empathetic, they mimic this behavior. They understand the importance that people attach to that thing or process. It is amazing to see how horses tune in to these nuances. They are empathetic and give direct feedback.

I employ several models for the seminars. The most common model for equineassisted education is the leadership model, where members of a company’s board of directors, project managers and management teams take part. We exercise notions related to mindset and individual behavior, organizational culture and national culture. In the twenty seminars per year the horses (who have been assisting us for eight years) have learned the behavior of the varied groups we’ve worked with. They can distinguish between different cultures – they see groups of Frenchmen, Englishmen, Germans or Romanians, and they behave differently, as it is appropriate in each case.

Horses have expectations. They know how commanding, firm or direct the members of an ethnic group are – they are so smart that they have cultural expectations. In these seminars, we explore leadership styles – the trust between team members, the attention to the customer’s needs, the simplicity and efficiency of the communication, the power dynamics, working under

George Leca, {tef\ne[ti, Ilfov, foto: © justvision

Diferen]a dintre training-ul f\cut de noi [i training-ul la clas\ este dat\ de emo]ie. Al nostru este emo]ional. Nu conteaz\ ce î]i spune trainerul, conteaz\ „ce î]i spune calul”! {i, cånd ]i-a spus calul [i tu ai în]eles... e o revela]ie. Se creeaz\ mult\ emo]ie – unii plâng, au experien]e pe care nu le uit\ niciodat\... Diferen]a dintre un training la clas\ (unde înv\]\turile sunt ra]ionale) [i trainingurile noastre (unde comunicarea se bazeaz\ pe emo]ie) este uria[\! E vorba de în]elegerea limbajului!

Avem trei formate majore de seminar. Un seminar dureaz\ 9 ore, f\r\ pauz\. Începe la 9 diminea]a [i se termin\ la 6 seara, dar oamenii nu mai vor s\ plece [i r\mån pån\ la 9, pân\ la 10 seara. Fum\torii uit\ de ]ig\ri, nu vrea nimeni s\ ia o pauz\, la mas\ vor s\ vorbeasc\ tot despre cai…

Seminariile sunt greu de scalat. E greu de g\sit traineri care s\ fie 9 ore „cu capul la cai”. Nu po]i s\ ratezi nicio frac]iune de secund\, din dou\ perspective: în primul rånd, trebuie s\-i dai clientului beneficiul maxim [i, în al doilea rånd, s\-i asiguri securitatea. Un cal, dac\ nu are via]a în pericol, nu te va lovi niciodat\. Te va avertiza de zece ori dac\ e indispus, dar trebuie s\ ai ochi!

Fac aceste seminarii în mai multe ]\ri –în Fran]a, în Germania, în Polonia, în America, la Las Vegas, în Portugalia, la Lisabona, [i în România (la Salina Turda e o baz\ de echita]ie excep]ional\). Eu pot s\ fac seminarii cu orice cal, condi]ia este s\ fie zdrav\n la cap. Le fac ni[te teste, v\d ce angoase au [i v\d dac\ pot s\ lucrez cu ei sau nu. Construiesc încrederea, de fapt. Calul trebuie s\ [tie c\, indiferent ce s-ar întâmpla, în prezen]a mea e în siguran]\. Unii dintre cursan]i sunt tensiona]i, iar caii percep acest lucru. Preiau starea acestora [i se epuizeaz\ mental – am avut un cal epuizat mental care a c\zut jos din picioare. Eu trebuie s\ dezvolt niste mecanisme complexe de sprijin mental pentru a determina acel cal s\ îmi cear\ ajutor, dac\ e nevoie. Dac\ vezi un cal care ridic\ capul [i prive[te spre orizont, trebuie s\ stii c\ el comunic\, spune – “I’m watching it”. Sunt limbaje pe care le înva]\ de la mamele [i ta]ii lor. În lipsa acestora, ei pot dezvolta comportamente deviante. La fel se întâmpl\ [i la elefan]i sau la ur[i. Sunt foarte multe lucruri care ]in de interven]ia omului în natur\. Cånd s-au vânat ur[i, s-au vånat exemplarele mari, care f\ceau legea. S-a produs, astfel, o s\r\cire genetic\ a speciei. A[adar, genera]ii întregi de ur[i au fost lipsite de „înv\]\tor”. În Africa avem o problem\ cu violen]a elefan]ilor. Oamenii au vånat exemplarele mari, care ]ineau rostul turmelor [i îi înv\]au maniere pe cei mai tineri, iar acum avem o genera]ie de elefan]i agresivi.

Cum a]i ajuns s\ fi]i trainer de leadership într-o lume a cailor?

Nu m-am n\scut înv\]at. Am c\l\torit cu so]ia mea în toat\ lumea, peste tot unde exist\ culturi legate de cai. Aceste culturi sunt pressure etc. We cover so many topics… And everything is filmed. For our seminars, we are working with a team comprised of six to seven people: two trainers, a few people who bring the horses and a few cameramen who record everything. We even use image handover, robots for filming… Our procedures, the synchronization of the groups, all of these processes are assisted by computers. For special trainings, we use pulse belts, one for the horse and one for the rider. It is interesting to observe that their pulses synchronize.

We don’t advertise – it’s all word of mouth. At one point, a famous law firm came to us. They wanted to develop their skills to be more attentive to the needs of their customers.

The difference between the kind of training we do and the kind of training you can get in a classroom has to do with emotion. Our training is emotional. It doesn’t matter what the trainer tells you. What matters is what the horse tells you! And when the horse communicates and you understand… That’s a revelation! A lot of emotion is generated – some people cry because they experience things they’ll never forget… The difference between the training you get in a classroom (where the teachings are strictly rational) and the training you get from us (where communication is based on emotion) is immense! It’s about communication and comprehension!

We are working with three major formats for our seminars. A seminar lasts nine hours, without breaks. It starts at nine in the morning and ends at six in the evening, but people don’t want to leave, so everything extends until nine or ten in the evening. Smokers forget about their cigarette breaks, no one wants to take a break, at dinner they all want to talk about horses.

Seminars are hard to scale. It’s hard to find trainers who eat, sleep and breathe horses. You can’t miss even a fraction of a second, for two reasons. First, you have to provide maximum satisfaction to your clients. Secondly, you need to ensure a safe environment. A horse will never hit you if he doesn’t fear for his life. He will warn you ten times if he’s indisposed, but you need to

foarte bogate – e vorba [i de muzic\, [i de måncare [i de mistic\... Toate aceste culturi sunt în direct\ rela]ie cu natura. V\carii din Spania (vaqueros) au înv\]at cum s\ se comporte cu caii experimentånd. Dar nu ei au fost primii. În realitate, primii cowboy din lume, care au dezvoltat diverse tehnici de dresaj, au tr\it în Camar, în sudul Fran]ei. Toate disciplinele de dresaj au evoluat din lucrul cu vitele sau din r\zboi. Tot ce admir\m noi ast\zi – Doma Vaquera, dresaj spaniol sau olimpic – sunt mi[c\rile naturale ale calului pe care omul doar le-a amplificat. De la Vaqueros am înv\]at aceste lucruri, pentru c\ în România nu am avut de unde. În America am c\utat profesorii cei mai autentici. Monty Roberts, de exemplu, faimos în lumea cailor, a inventat ni[te mecanisme care se aplic\ acum în lumea oamenilor. A fost adviser-ul lui Obama pe educa]ie, a inspirat regizori [i scenari[ti – Robert Redford a jucat într-un film inspirat din viata lui Monty Roberts, The Horse Whisperer. De la el am înv\]at, [i de la spaniolii care au în spate 4-5 genera]ii de vaqueros. Un alt „om de cai” de la care am înv\]at este Guerrero Garcia. Când vorbeam cu el, Garcia îmi întorcea universul pe dos. El îmi spunea despre cai, eu auzeam despre lume!

De exemplu, îmi spunea: mâine facem dresaj. Eu m\ prezint cu calul meu în aren\, iar el m\ a[tepta în câmp. Îmi spunea: dresajul se face în cåmp, acolo unde calul nu are repere. Calul e de[tept [i memoreaz\ reperele din teren. Ce înseamn\ asta? Înseamn\ c\ el nu mai e atent la comunicarea cu tine [i execut\ comenzile pe care intuie[te c\ i le vei da. În cåmp deschis calul nu are repere [i e atent tot timpul la dresor, comunic\ cu el. Nivelul de în]elegere al unui cal merge pân\ acolo încât el execut\ comenzi doar observând [i intuind inten]ia dresorului.

Lucr\m cu cai de sport, care sunt cai energici, dinamici. Nu se ajunge imediat la performan]\. Toate acese progrese se realizeaz\ în „timpul calului”, nu în timpul omului. Ce este extraordinar: calul aduce la acela[i nivel pe toat\ lumea din grupul în care se afl\. Oricât de extraordinar [i de mare ai fi tu în companie, în fa]a unui cal de 600 de kilograme vei coborî la un nivel de modestie.

M\ gândeam, la un moment dat, cum a[ putea s\ fac [i eu acest lucru cånd nu am caii lâng\ mine. {i mi-am f\cut un obicei – atunci când vorbesc cu un politician, vorbesc întotdeauna la persoana I. În func]ie de nivelul de cultur\ [i în]elegere al acestuia, gestul meu este interpretat ca lips\ de respect. Politicienii sufer\ de arogan]\. E neobi[nuit pentru ei, îi [ocheaz\.

Caii sunt extrem de puternici. Oamenii sunt [oca]i de for]a lor, iar când trebuie s\ interac]ioneze cu ace[tia, ezit\. Calul în]elege s\-[i reduc\ dialogul fizic în func]ie de situa]ie. În momentul în care în grupul lor intr\ o persoan\ mai fragil\, î[i reduce din energie, pentru a proteja persoana respectiv\ [i pentru a putea s\ lege un dialog cu aceasta.

Revenind la tema primei p\r]i a interviului, la educa]ie, haide]i s\ facem un top al punctelor tari [i al celor slabe ale sistemului de educa]ie din România.

Punctele tari sunt copiii [i câ]iva oameni dedica]i, foarte pu]ini la num\r, care ]in cu sufletul de ace[ti copii. Dac\ ar fi existat mai multe puncte tari, nu ar fi ap\rut aceste ONGuri. Nevoia a creat aceste organiza]ii! Sunt pe baricade [i cârpesc orice gaur\ pe care o g\sesc [i salveaz\ ni[te copii, pentru c\, altfel, lucrurile ar sta mult mai r\u. Ineficien]a sistemului de educa]ie a creat acest know-how valoros al ONG-urilor. Pe ni[ele lor, ace[ti oameni au dobândit o experien]\ [i un bagaj de cuno[tin]e care ar putea fi folosite cu brio de sistemul educa]ional. Aceste organiza]ii au devenit atât de performante încât sunt solicitate de alte ]\ri care doresc s\ implementeze [i la ele sistemul aplicat în România.

Am primit solicit\ri s\ extindem Academia de Leadership [i Management în Grecia, avem solicit\ri de la UE pentru testele de licen]iere pe care vor s\ le implementeze la nivelul Uniunii... Sunt multe ONG-uri [i oameni super dedica]i, cum sunt Maria Gheorghiu de la OvidiuRo, care [tie la firul ierbii tot ce se întâmpl\ în [colile romåne[ti. Acest ONG a avut for]a s\ schimbe legi în România!

Puncte slabe? Inspectoratele [colare. Nu ar trebui s\ existe. Deloc. Ar trebui încurajat înv\]\mântul pre[colar, anii preg\titori, local knowledge. Multe cuvinte pe care le auzim, nu le în]elegem, de fapt. Sunt exprim\ri eliptice, [i dac\ ai pu]in local knowledge po]i s\ supline[ti ceea ce se exprim\ prin cuvinte. Dar topurile pe care le fac copiii între ei nu influen]eaz\ dezvoltarea [colar\? Etichetele puse, acela e bun, cel\lalt e r\u...

Culmea este c\ ele sunt încurajate chiar de p\rin]i, de adul]i. R\d\cinile sunt mult mai adånci [i au pornit de la mistificarea acestui popor care [i-a format un fel de arogan]\ na]ionalist\... Nu g\sesc un cuvânt potrivit pentru aceast\ psihoz\. E vorba de complexul de inferioritate [i superioritate care se reflect\ în comportamentul copiilor no[tri ast\zi. Sunt încuraja]i s\ participe la olimpiade, s\ ating\ vårfuri... Nu c\ ar fi ceva r\u în asta, doar c\ olimpiadele inventate de „blocul de est" nu sunt recunoscute interna]ional, nu se face o ierarhie fireasc\, locul I îl iau to]i cei care trec peste un anumit barem. Nu vreau s\ minimizez meritul acestor copii, dar vreau s\ stopez pu]in aceast\ politic\ distructiv\ a adul]ilor, care aduc ni[te argumente de superioritate. Din p\cate, aceste vârfuri nu aduc nimic ]\rii noastre. Noi trebuie s\ ne ridic\m, ca mas\! Încurajarea acestor olimpiade, acest sport na]ional, este distructiv\. Noi trebuie s\ încuraj\m co-crearea, s\ ridic\m înv\]\mântul de mas\. E mai important s\ ai o sut\ de [coli de nota [ase, decât dou\ [coli de nota zece! Noi trebuie s\ ne ridic\m ca na]ie. Trebuie s\ ne dezvolt\m, macro, nu ca individualit\]i. În coaching, acest proces se nume[te framing, s\ [tii unde te afli. Ca s\ [tii unde te afli, po]i s\ folose[ti repere prin compara]ie sau raportate la tine. Vedem sondaje publicate de genul –romånii î[i doresc nu [tiu ce – dar pentru a fi relevante, ar trebui s\ cunoa[tem [i metodologia de lucru.

Mul]i formatori de opinie spun c\ înv\]\mântul trebuie s\ fie aplicat, s\ produc\ meserii.

Lumea îi spune înv\]\månt voca]ional. E de dorit ca majoritatea nevoilor unei societ\]i s\ fie acoperite. Avem nevoie de meserii. Dar, înainte de înv\]\mântul voca]ional, înainte de înv\]\måntul [tiin]elor aplicate, trebuie s\ existe un fundament solid de educa]ie bazat pe ni[te principii s\n\toase.

Exist\ o regul\, toate ac]iunile tale trebuie s\ produc\ valoare pentru tine [i pentru al]ii. Nu po]i fi scriitor f\r\ cititori, nu po]i fi actor f\r\ spectatori! Saltul în business e mai u[or de f\cut pentru un om educat decât pentru unul

needucat. La seminarele mele dedicate profesorilor, subliniez care este menirea profesorului vizavi de elev. {i m-am gåndit – cum pot eu s\-i fac pe ace[ti oameni s\ în]eleag\ acest lucru. {i am g\sit un tip, un c\nt\re] la bass, care prezint\ educa]ia cântând la bass. {i, cum explic\ el educa]ia? Spune c\ la [coala a înv\]at s\ stea în gam\, s\ cånte dup\ note, s\ aib\ o execu]ie cât mai bun\ –„s\ stea în spate"! „Stând în spate", spune el, pune în eviden]\ celelalte instrumente. Dar,

ce se întâmpl\ dac\ bassul preia conducerea [i face improviza]ii? Atunci, rolurile se inverseaz\!

Asta trebuie s\ fac\ un profesor, s\-i fac\ pe copii s\ str\luceasc\, punându-se pe el în spate. În seminarul meu despre curaj [i respect dau tot felul de exemple despre cum ar trebui sanc]ionat\ lipsa de respect. Cursul de curaj trateaz\ ni[te subiecte fundamentale [i reprezint\ mediul în care copiii înva]\ s\ aib\ curaj.

La cai, curajul se traduce altfel. Pe 10 august (mitingul care a fost reprimat brutal de Jandarmeria Romån\, cunoscut [i ca mitinkeep your eyes wide open!

I teach these seminars in several countries – in France, Germany, Poland, the USA (in Las Vegas), Portugal, Lisbon and Romania (there’s a great equestrian facility at Salina Turda). I can work with any horse, as long as he’s sane. I evaluate them, I diagnose their anguishes and I then make a decision. Horses must learn that, no matter what happens, they are safe in my presence. Some of the students are tensed up, and the horses no-

tice this. They absorb these emotions and become exhausted – we had one horse who fainted! My job is to develop these complex mechanisms of mental support, so that the horse learns to ask for help when help is needed. If you see a horse raise his head and look into the horizon, you need to understand that he is communicating something, he’s saying: “I’m watching it.” They learn these modes of communication from their parents. If these mechanisms don’t work properly, they can develop deviant behaviors. The same thing happens with elephants or bears. Lots of these things have to do with human intervention. When they hunted bears, they hunted the big ones, the leaders. In this way, humans caused a depletion of the gene pool. In consequence, generations of bears grew up without a teacher. In Africa, they have problems with aggressive elephants. People hunted the big ones, those who kept the herds in check and who taught manners to the young ones, so now we have a generation of aggressive elephants.

How did you become a leadership trainer in the equestrian universe?

No man is born wise. I traveled around the world with my wife – wherever we found an equestrian culture. These cultures are very rich, also from the perspective of music, cuisine, mysticism… All of these cultures have a direct relationship with nature. Spanish cowboys (vaqueros) learned how to handle horses through experimentation. But they weren’t the first. In fact, the first cowboys in the world – who developed various training techniques – were from Camar, in the south of France. All of the training methods were born out of working with cattle or from wartime practices. Everything that we admire today – Dona Vaquera, the Spanish horse riding technique – is comprised of the natural movements of horses. Humans merely amplified those movements. I learned these things from the Vaqueros, because there was no one to learn this from in Romania. In the USA I searched for the teachers who were the most authentic. For instance, Monty Roberts (who is famous in the equestrian world) invented training methods that also apply in the human world. He was Obama’s advisor in matters of education and he inspired writers and filmmakers –Robert Redford starred in a movie inspired by the life of Monty Roberts, The Horse Whisperer. I learned my craft from him and from the Spaniards who have four to five generations of vaqueros in their family. Another man famous in the equestrian world that I learned from is Guerrero Garcia. In our discussions, he was turning my world upside down. He was telling me about horses, but what I was hearing was about the universe!

For instance, he would tell me – tomorrow we’re doing horse training. And I would

Seminar cu cai, George Leca, foto: © justvision

gul diasporei) m-am adresat comandantului jandarmeriei de atunci [i i-am spus c\, dac\ nu retrage caii, va muri unul din oamenii lui. {i i-am expicat de ce, i-am spus – uit\-te la piciorul drept al calului, uit\-te la urechea lui, e[ti pe asfalt, nu ai potcoave de cauciuc… Iam ]inut un discurs [i a în]eles. Comandantul acela a avut urechi s\ aud\ [i [i-a retras caii.

Principala menire a poli]istului c\lare este aceea de a asigura dialogul comunitar. Poli]istul pe cal are o pozi]ie elevat\, privilegiat\, [i poate comunica cu u[urin]\ cu oamenii. Aceasta este menirea poli]iei c\lare, nu aceea de a timora manifestan]ii. Acesta este scopul pentru care se antreneaz\ poli]ia c\lare în alte ]\ri. Am v\zut cum se antreneaz\ poli]ia din New Orleans [i am v\zut cum se face selec]ia cailor – dup\ ochi, dup\ focus, dup\ reac]ia la fric\, la stres... {i se aleg caii care comunic\ cel mai bine cu c\l\re]ul, se aleg caii care î[i înving frica, care stau în tandem cu c\l\re]ul…

Am s\ fac un anun]: pu]in\ lume [tie, un cal are 14 cai putere! Cånd inventatorul sco]ian James Watt a f\cut unitatea de m\sur\ pentru motorul s\u cu aburi, [i-a bazat defini]ia unit\]ii unui cal putere pe ponei de min\, cai care sunt mai mici [i mai pu]in puternici decåt caii de povar\. {i-a chemat poten]ialii clien]i, care erau în marea lor majoritate mineri sau agricultori, [i a f\cut mai multe demonstra]ii. Pentru a-i convinge s\ îi cumpere motorul, a trebuit s\ inventeze o unitate de m\sur\ pe în]elesul acelor oameni [i le-a spus c\ motorul lui face treaba a nu [tiu câ]i cai.

Pe baza valorii stabilite de Watt (în sistemului metric, este puterea dezvoltat\ pentru a ridica un corp de 75 kg la în\l]imea de un metru, în timp de o secund\), definirea calului-putere anglo-saxon stabilea c\ un cal are, de fapt, 14 cai putere!

Exist\ cai de povar\ care cånt\resc o ton\ [i care pot trage 10 tone sau chiar mai mult. Atletul Usain Bolt a fost m\surat [i a reie[it c\ are 4.5 cai putere.

Spune]i lucruri atât de interesante… [i nu mai apuc\m s\ v\ adres\m întreb\rile preg\tite. Ce sfaturi a]i da unui întreprinz\tor tân\r?

Sunt câteva lucruri de spus. Unul dintre ele ]ine de vitez\, s\ [tie c\ niciodat\ nu e gata! Dac\ vrea s\ fie gata, nu va face niciodat\ nimic. Al doilea lucru pe care trebuie s\-l [tie e s\ pun\ clientul în centrul preocup\rilor. Iar, al treilea, s\ nu tr\iasc\ în paradigma: „ce nu cunosc, nu exist\!” Exist\ tot! Trebuie s\ caute, s\ întrebe, s\ afle! S\ înve]e s\ cear\ ajutor!

Noi avem seminare cu cai exact pe aceast\ ni[\. Cum po]i construi încredere cerând ajutor? Noi avem o problem\ cu „problem solving", cu rezolvarea problemelor. Rezolvarea problemelor func]ioneaz\ a[a: identifici problema, faci o analiz\, dezvol]i o solu]ie, implementezi solu]ia [i, apoi, o m\sori din nou. În fizic\ exist\ principiul incertitudinii, care formulat superficial ar suna cam a[a: orice sistem se modific\ ca rezultat al m\sur\rii sau observ\rii acestuia. Principiul incertitudinii poate fi formulat în mai multe capitole de fizic\, în cuantic\, în termofizic\ [amd. Orice sistem din aceast\ lume se supune acestei legi a incertitudinii! În momentul în care m\sori un sistem, îl schimbi, ca rezultat al m\sur\rii acestuia! Un exemplu foarte simplu – dac\ vrei s\ m\sori presiunea din anvelopele unei ma[ini, ca rezultat al ac]iunii tale, îi vei modifica presiunea. {i atunci, dac\ aplic\m aceast\ teorie la leadership, modul în care pun eu întrebarea trebuie s\ conduc\ în direc]ia pe care o doresc.

Într-un interviu acordat revistei noastre, domnul Wargha Enayati enun]a o dogm\ Baha’i [i spunea c\ e mai bine s\ iei o decizie gre[it\ în unitate decåt una corect\ în dezbinare.

Diavolul st\ în detalii! Exist\ o parte de adev\r în aceast\ dogm\ [i ea se refer\ la co-creare. Oamenii trebuie implica]i de la nivelul de design! Nu dup\ ce a fost luat\ decizia. E vorba de „engagementul” oamenilor. O persoan\ nu ader\ la o decizie decåt dac\ a participat la construc]ia ei.

Eu nu sunt un fan al democra]iei în]eleas\ în sensul consacrat, dar sunt un fan al incluziunii! E o mare diferen]\ între incluziune [i dictatura majorit\]ii! Nu e vorba de 51 la 49... E vorba despre procesul care trebuie s\ includ\ pe toat\ lumea. Oamenii trebuie s\-[i spun\ p\rerea, s\ empatizeze, s\ se pun\ în papucii celuilalt…

Cred c\ acesta era sensul pe care domshow up with my horse in the arena, but he was waiting for me in the field. He told me –training is done in the field, where the horse has no reference points. Horses are smart and they learn the course by heart. What does this mean? It means that the horse no longer focuses on the communication with the trainer and, instead, merely executes the commands he intuits the trainer will give him. But in an open field there are no reference points, so the horse is paying attention to the trainer, he communicates. The level of understanding that horses have goes as far as executing commands relying only on observing and intuiting the intentions of the trainer.

We work with sport horses – they are more energetic, more dynamic. Performance doesn’t come out of the blue. Progress is dependent on equine time, not on human time. What is extraordinary is that a horse is an equalizer, bringing everyone to the same level. No matter how great you are in your company, you will show modesty when you find yourself faced with a six hundred kilos stallion.

I was thinking, at one point, how I could create the same effect when I don’t have my horses with me. And I developed a habit –when talking to politicians, I always address them in the first person. Depending on their education and level of culture, my approach might be interpreted as disrespectful. Politicians suffer from arrogance. It is unusual for them, it comes as a shock.

Horses are extremely powerful. People are shocked by their strength, so they hesitate if they have to interact with them. Because they understand this, horses tone down their physicality depending on the situation. When a more fragile individual enters their group, they tone down their energy, in order to protect that person and in order to allow communication to happen.

Coming back to the first part of the interview – education – let’s make a Top 10 list of the strongest points and the weakest points of the Romanian educational system.

The strong points are the students and a few – very few – educated people who care deeply about these kids. If we had more

strong points, we wouldn’t have all these NGOs now. It was need that created these organizations. They are on the frontlines and they are patching up any hole they can find, saving some kids in the process. Without them, things would be a lot worse. The valuable know-how of these NGOs is a result of the inefficiency of our educational system. In their respective niches, these people have acquired experience and a knowledge base that could be successfully implemented to support the educational system. These organizations have become so performant that their help is solicited by other countries who want to implement their system as well.

We were asked to extend the AVE in Greece, we have solicitations from the EU for the tests they want to implement unionwide… There are lots of NGOs and extraordinarily dedicated people, such as Maria Gheorghiu from OvidiuRo, who knows in detail everything that happens in the Romanian schools. This NGO had the power to change laws in Romania!

Our weak points? That would be the school inspectorates. They should not exist. At all. We should be encouraging preschool education, foundation years, local knowledge… Many of the words we hear, we don’t actually understand – there are confused expressions; but if you have local knowledge, you can substitute what is said through words.

But isn’t development also influenced by the rankings that the kids themselves create, the labels they attach on each other – that guy is “cool”, that guy’s not…?

What is counterintuitive is that these things are encouraged by the parents themselves, by the adults… The roots of this behavior go deeper – they start from the mystification of this nation, which has developed a certain nationalist arrogance. I can’t find a proper word for this psychosis. It has to do with our inferiority and superiority complexes which get reflected in the behavior of our kids, today. They are encouraged to participate in olympiads, to reach new peaks…

Not that there is anything wrong with that, but the olympiads invented by the Eastern Block are not internationally recognized, there’s no natural hierarchy – everyone who is above a certain threshold is awarded first place. I don’t want to dismiss the merit of these kids, but I would like to put an end to this destructive behavior that the adults –who try to argue that their way is superior –promote. Unfortunately, these peaks do nothing for our country. We need to evolve as a whole! The promotion of these olympiads as a national sport is destructive. We need to have a holistic approach, to develop education for the masses. It is better to have a hundred C grade schools than two A grade schools. We need to rise as a nation! We need to develop as a whole, not as individuals. In coaching, this process is called framing – knowing where you stand. To know where you stand, you can use reference points. We see statistics like –Romanians want this and that… But we need to know the research methodology in order for these statistics to be relevant!

Many influencers think that education should practical, that it should prepare students for the job market…

People call it vocational education. It is desirable that the majority of a society’s needs are satisfied. We need crafts. However, before vocational education and practical education, we should first build a solid foundation based on healthy principles.

There is a rule – all of your actions should generate value, for you and for others. You can’t be a writer without readers, an actor without an audience! Getting into business is easier to do for the educated man than for the uneducated man. In my seminars for teachers, I highlight the teacher’s purpose in relation to the student. And I thought – how can I get these people to understand this thing? And so I found a guy, a bass player, who gives lectures on the educational process by playing the bass. What is his explanation? He says that school taught him to stay in key, to play the correct notes, to perform as well as possible –to sit in the back! By sitting in the back, he says, you allow the other instruments to shine. But what happens when the bass takes the lead and improvises? Then, the tables turn!

This is what a teacher should do – he should help the kids shine, by sitting in the back. In my seminar on respect and bravery I give various examples about how disrespect should be penalized. The bravery class touches on some fundamental subjects and it represents the ideal environment for kids to learn bravery.

It’s a different thing with horses. On the 10th of August (the protest of the Romanian diaspora that was brutally reprimanded by the gendarmerie), I told the (then) commander – if you don’t retreat the horses, one of your men will die. I explained to him the reason – I told him, look at the right foot of the horse, look at his ear, you’re on tarmac, you don’t have rubber horseshoes… I gave a lecture and he listened. He heard my arguments and he retreated the horses.

The main purpose of mounted policemen is to facilitate dialogue. Mounted policemen have an elevated, privileged position from which they can communicate with ease. This is the purpose of mounted police – not intimidating protesters. I saw how the New Orleans police trains and I saw how they pick the horses – based on their sight, their focus, their reaction to fear, to stress… They choose the horses that best communicate with the rider, those who overcome their fears, those who tune in to the rider…

I’m going to make an announcement: few people know, but one horse makes 14 horsepower!

When the Scottish inventor James Watt devised the unit of measurement for his

nul Wargha Enayati a vrut s\-l transmit\. Cu decizia unanim\ nu sunt de acord. A existat doar la comuni[ti [i se f\cea de fric\.

E deja folclor, clientul nu [tie ce vrea. Ce trebuie s\ fac\ un tân\r întreprinz\tor ca s\ conving\ un client?

Nu to]i clien]ii sunt la fel. Trebuie s\ fie suficient de inteligent pentru a parcurge c\l\toria clientului (the customer’s journey). Pentru a fi operativ, întreprinz\torul nostru va trebui s\ împart\ clien]ii pe tipologii. Esen]a pentru a mul]umi un client, generatorul universal al satisfac]iei, se afl\ într-un singur lucru: în simplitate! C\l\toria trebuie s\ fie simpl\ [i u[or de în]eles. Clientul caut\ simplitatea la fiecare pas. C\l\toria clientului trebuie f\cut\ end-toend. Oamenii î[i închipuie c\ o c\l\torie începe odat\ cu intrarea clientului în magazin. Nu! C\l\toria a început deja cånd clientul a auzit despre produs [i se termin\ cånd renun]\ la serviciile tale, pentru a nu fi, mai târziu, un detractor al serviciilor tale. Inclusiv renun]area la serviciile tale trebuie s\ fie simpl\.

Dac\ ar fi s\ traduc aceste lucruri în limbajul cailor, a[ spune ca acel om din Spania: Prepara! Ce în]elege el din asta? În]elege c\, dac\ dai o comand\ unui cal, trebuie s\ te preg\te[ti s\-i dai acea comand\. Îi spui calului c\ îi vei da o comand\ [i abia apoi îi vei da comanda. Cum aplici aceast\ teorie în business? P\i, nu spui – am venit s\ discut\m. Spui – voi veni måine s\ discut\m. De ce? Pentru c\, în acest fel, partenerul t\u va avea timp s\ se preg\teasc\, s\ î[i elibereze mintea de alte lucruri, s\-[i fac\ mindset-ul. Altfel, înseamn\ c\ eu nu mi-am f\cut temele, iar mesajul meu va fi prea complicat pentru el. Nu exist\ worldwide balance. Aceast\ practic\ este dep\[it\.

Ca specialist în management de proiect, care crede]i c\ ar trebui s\ fie proiectul de ]ar\ al României?

Ca s\ fiu foarte pragmatic, reforma administra]iei. Nu po]i face nici digitalizare, nici educa]ie, nici drumuri, nici nimic cu aceast\ administra]ie. Avem un mecanism în ciment. Pentru ca mecanismul s\ func]ioneze, el trebuie scos din ciment. A[ spune c\ trebuie s\ facem o schimbare de mentalitate!

La noi de ce nu merg lucrurile? Putem ar\ta cu degetul?

Am putea avea o [ans\ dac\ ar veni un guvern curajos care s\ fac\ o reform\ a administra]iei publice, s\ rul\m reforma vreo patru-cinci ani pån\ se cur\]\ sistemul, s\ r\mân\ doar 20% din actuala administra]ie public\. De-abia apoi ne vom putea ocupa [i

de educa]ie, [i de transporturi.

Deocamdat\, nu avem cu cine.

Din p\cate, ultimele ac]iuni din înv\]\månt descurajeaz\ pe oricine s\ mai intre în sistem. Exist\ un organism care se nume[te ARACIP, un organism care stabile[te standardele în înv\]\mânt [i care gestioneaz\ o baz\ de date important\. ARACIP a avut mari dificult\]i în g\sirea unui manager. Uita]i-v\ cine conduce acum ARACIP... E un fost manechin de lenjerie intim\! S\ mai adaug ceva? Cinstit vorbind, se dau prea mul]i bani pentru cei care sunt acum în sistem [i prea pu]ini pentru cei care ar dori s\ intre în sistem.

Povestea p\l\riilor

Am împreun\ cu Drago[ (n.r., Drago[ Anastasiu, CEO Eurolines) o firm\ de consultan]\. V-a spus legenda cu p\l\riile? Nu? V-o spun eu.

La lansarea proiectului ReThink, agen]ia de PR a zis: voi, partenerii, trebuie s\ face]i ni[te poze profesionale! So]ia mea are un brand de fashion de p\l\rii, foarte cunoscut, DeCorina Hats, [i aveam în ma[in\ [apte p\l\rii. Am f\cut mai multe poze [i, la sfår[it, ne-am jucat pu]in cu p\l\riile. Pozele au ie[it atât de bine încât agen]ia le-a preferat pe cele cu p\l\rii. Atunci am lansat [i sloganul campaniei, „Port p\l\ria fiec\rui antreprenor”. La conferin]a de pres\ ne-am prezentat cu p\l\riile pe cap.

Eu port p\l\rii de orice fel. So]ia mea spune c\ portul unei p\l\rii este “head enhancer”. Are un atelier de crea]ie foarte frumos unde se afl\ [i un aparat de m\surat circumferin]a capului, aparat extrem de rar, de prin 1860, dar care nu copiaz\ circumferin]a capului, ci forma lui. O p\l\rie “custom” se va a[eza altfel pe cap,va fi comod\. Acest aparat a fost inventat în 1850 pentru a fi utilizat în medicin\. Exista o [tiin]\ care se numea frenologie [i f\cea leg\tura între psihicul unei persoane [i forma capului. {tiin]a în sine, care este de fapt o pseudo[tiin]\, nu a prins, dar dispozitivul a fost preluat de p\l\rieri. Atelierul Corinei este, poate, cel mai bine dotat atelier din Europa. Are vreo sut\ de ma[ini din 1900, aduse din toat\ lumea. Cum în România nu exist\ o [coal\ care s\ te preg\teasc\ pentru aceste ma[ini, m-am apucat s\ înv\], de la zero, toate secretele lor. Am înv\]at despre fire, despre a]e, despre ]es\turi… Ma[ina de cusut e o minune a tehnicii care ]ine cont de extrem de multe variabile - grosimea [i aderen]a a]ei, grosimea [i forma vårfului unui ac, densitatea materialului, viteza cu care se mi[c\ mecanismele…

E o întreag\ [tiin]\. Materialele sunt de tot felul, de la fetrul de lân\, de iepure sau castor, pân\ la tot felul de ]es\turi pre]ioase din paie, panama de prin Filipine, de prin Japonia, tot felul de fibre de banan… Toate materialele sunt naturale. Lucreaz\ dup\ un cod, nu are voie s\ foloseasc\ lipici, lucrurile sunt f\cute s\ dureze, s\ fie confortabile. Cus\turile sunt de un anumit fel, nu folose[ti o cus\tur\ de la o ma[in\ de cusut obi[nuit\, care se nume[te "lockstitch", trebuie folosit\ o ma[in\ de cus\turi "chainstitch" – sunt ni[te cus\turi elastice, care s\ nu strâng\. {i, pentru c\ nu

steam engine, he based it on the power of a small pit pony – they are shorter and weaker than workhorses. He then made a series of demonstration for his potential customers, the majority of them miners and farmers.

In order to persuade them to buy his motor, he had to invent a unit of measurement that those people could understand, and so he told them – this motor does the work of this many horses…

Based on this unit devised by Watt (in the metric system, this is the power required to lift a 75 kg object to the height of one meter, for a second), it follows that in the Anglo-Saxon system, one horse actually makes 14 horsepower.

There are workhorses that weigh a ton and they can pull 10 tons or more. The athlete Usain Bolt was tested and they found out he produces 4.5 horsepower.

Your stories are so interesting that we just can’t get to the questions we prepared… What is your advice for a young entrepreneur?

There are a couple of things to be said here. One of them has to do with speed – he must know that he’ll never be ready! If he wants to be ready, he’ll never do anything. The second thing he must know is that he must prioritize the needs of the customer. The third thing is that he should not be the embodiment of the paradigm – “what I don’t know, doesn’t exist”. Everything exists! He should explore, ask and learn! And he should learn to ask for help!

We do seminars on this topic. How can you build trust by asking for help? We have a problem with problem solving… Problem solving works as follows: you identify the problem, you do an analysis, you come up with a solution, and then you assess the state of things again. In physics, there is the uncertainty principle. Crudely simplified, it sounds like this: the state of a system is modified as a consequence of measuring or observing it. The uncertainty principle applies to many topics in physics – quantum physics, thermophysics etc. Every system in this world is subject to this uncertainty principle. Every time you measure the parameters, you modify the state of the system in consequence. A very simple example is the following: if you want to measure the pressure in your tires, you will, as a result of your actions, change their pressure. And so, applying this theory to leadership, the way in which you pose the questions should lead in the direction you want to be going.

In an interview for our magazine, Mr. Wargha Enayati made reference to a Baha’i principle which states that it is better to make a wrong decision in unity than to make a good decision in isolation.

The devil is in the details! There is some truth to this, and it has to do with inclusion. Everyone should be involved at the design level – not after the decision is already taken! It’s about engagement. People will only adhere to a decision as long as they participated in the decision-making process. I’m not a fan of democracy understood in the traditional sense, but I’m a fan of inclusion! There’s a big difference between inclusion and the tyranny of the majority. It’s not about 51% vs 49%. It’s about the process, which should leave no one behind. People should have their say, they should empathize, they should put themselves in the other person’s shoes… I think this is the interpretation that Mr. Wargha Enayati had in mind. I don’t agree with unanimous decisions – this was a thing only for the Communists, and only done out of fear.

This is already popular knowledge – the customer doesn’t know what he wants. What should a young entrepreneur do to persuade a client?

Not all customers are the same. An entrepreneur should be intelligent enough to design the customer’s journey. In order to be operative, our entrepreneur needs to organize his customers into typologies. The secret to satisfying a customer, the universal generator of satisfaction lies in one thing: simplicity. The journey should be simple and easy to understand. The customer is looking for simplicity at every stage. This journey should be thought out from beginning to end. People think the journey begins once the customer sets foot in the store. No! The journey has already begun from the moment the customer heard about your store – and it ends when the customer gives up on your products, being careful that he doesn’t become a detractor later on. So even the final stage – walking away – should be simple.

If I were to translate this into the language of the equines, I would say, together with that man from Spain: Prepara! What does this mean? It means that, if you want to give a command to a horse, you have to be prepared for this! You let the horse know he’ll be given a command, and then you give the command! How to apply this theory in business? Well, you don’t say – I’m here to discuss. You say – I’ll come tomorrow to discuss. Why? Because, in this way, your partner will have time to prepare, to empty his mind of other things, to enter a mindset… Otherwise, it will look like you haven’t done your homework, because your message will seem too complicated. There is no worldwide balance. This is an outdated practice.

Why aren’t things working in Romania? Can we point fingers?

We could have a chance if a brave government came and reformed the public administration – so for the first four to five years we would just be cleaning the system, so that only 20% remains of the present administration. Only then can we deal with education and infrastructure. At the moment, there’s no one to work with.

Unfortunately, the latest changes in the educational system are discouraging people from entering. There is an organism called ARACIP, which lays down the standards in education and manages an important database. ARACIP had great difficulties in finding a manager. Look who runs ARACIP now… A former lingerie model! Should I say more?

Realistically, too much money is given to those already in the system and too little money is given to those who want to enter the system.

Tell us the story with the hats!

I have a consulting firm together with Drago[ (e.n., Drago[ Anastasiu, Eurolines CEO). Has he told you the story with the hats? No? I’ll tell it to you now.

At the launch of ReThink, the PR agency said – you, the partners, should do a professional photoshoot. My wife has a well-known fashion brand, DeCorina Hats, and we had seven hats in our car. We did several photos

am g\sit oameni specializa]i în România pentru aceste ma[ini, nu am avut încotro [i a trebuit s\ înv\] toate aceste lucruri. Ultima dat\ am fost invitat ca speaker la Eindhoven, la Congresul Interna]ional al Produc\torilor de Ma[ini de Cusut, unde am reparat o ma[in\ de cusut, pe scen\.

A]i regretat c\ v-a]i întors în România?

Nu e prima ]ar\ pe care am schimbat-o. Bineîn]eles c\ sunt lucruri care func]ioneaz\ mai bine în alt\ parte, dar e important s\-]i and, at the end, we had some fun with the hats. That’s when we came up with the campaign slogan – wear the hat of each entrepreneur! We showed up with the hats on at the press conference.

I wear all kinds of hats. My wife says that hats function as head-enhancers. She has a very beautiful workshop and she has there a very rare machine, from the 1860s, for measuring the circumference of the head – it doesn’t copy strictly the circumference but also the shape. A custom hat will sit on your

George Leca, {tef\ne[ti, Ilfov, foto: © justvision

plac\ ce faci acolo unde e[ti. Conteaz\ toat\ conjunctura – cu cine e[ti, ce faci, ce satisfac]ii ai, ce ai devenit la un moment dat, ce versiune a ta se potrive[te cu locul în care e[ti… Eu am venit în România din trei motive: în primul rånd, so]ia mea avea un business aici [i f\cea naveta de la Londra, unde st\team în acel moment. Doi la mån\, am o bunic\ de 97 de ani [i nu voiam s\ pierd leg\tura cu ea. În final, primisem o ofert\ de business foarte bun\ în România. Era o oportunitate de dezvoltare [i am preferat s\ m\ întorc în România.

Care e cel mai important lucru din via]a dvs.?

Acum mai mul]i ani, so]ia mea m-a întrebat: vrei un copil sau un cal? R\spunsul a fost: cal! head differently, it will feel very comfortable. This machine was invented in 1850 for medical use. There was a science called phrenology, exploring the relation between the shape of one’s head and the psyche.

This science – in fact, a pseudoscience –never caught on, but hatters have made use of the machine. Corina’s workshop is, perhaps, the best-equipped in Europe. She has about a hundred machines from 1900, brought from all over the world. Since there is no school for operating these machines in Romania, I had to learn all of their secrets, from the ground up. I learned about threads, about fabrics… The sewing machine is a technical marvel and there are lots of variables at play – the thickness and grip

Marcel {tef

of the thread, the thickness and shape of the needle, the density of the material, the speed at which the mechanisms work… It’s a science. There are all kinds of materials, from fur-based felt (from rabbit or beaver) to all kinds of precious fabrics made from straw, panama from the Philippines, from Japan, all kinds of fibers from banana trees… All materials used are natural. They follow a procedure, they are not allowed to use glue, things are made to last, to be comfortable… There is a special kind of stitch you have to use – you cannot use regular sewing machine stitch (lockstitch), instead you have to use chainstitch; this is an elastic stitch that doesn’t squeeze your head. Because I couldn’t find people in Romania who specialize in these machines, I had to learn all of these things. Most recently, I was invited as a speaker at Eindhoven, for the International Congress of Sewing Machine Manufacturers. I repaired a sewing machine, on stage.

Do you regret coming back to Romania?

This is not the first time I’ve moved to a different country. There are, of course, things that work better in other countries, but what is important is that you like it where you are. The conjuncture matters –who you are with, what you’re doing, how satisfied you are, who you’ve become, which version of you best suits the place you are now in… I came to Romania for three reasons. First of all, my wife has a business here and she had to commute from London (where we were living at the time). Secondly, I have a 97 year old grandmother and I didn’t want to lose touch with her. Finally, I received a good business offer back in Romania. There was an opportunity for development, so I decided to come back to Romania.

What is the most important thing in your life?

Many years ago, my wife asked me – do you want a kid or a horse? My answer was: a horse!