Day 2 - Dublin
Today was the first full day of our trip that began with an early morning breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast began at 7AM but Steven and I were ready at 6:45AM as well as a group of retired American tourists who were not happy that they had to wait 15 minutes for their food. We overheard a multitude of complaints because this group was slightly inconvenienced. When they were finally allowed to charge toward the buffet line, they were incredibly rude and demanding to the staff. I've witnessed similar instances while abroad and its times like these that I'm embarrassed as an American and lament the idea of being grouped with people who can't seem to step outside of their comfort zone and adapt over fasting for 15 minutes. And to think about all of the stories we heard yesterday of real tragedy and suffering in Ireland, waiting a few minutes for a croissant doesn't seem like the end of the world. Perspective and a little reflection goes a long way and I wish more Americans would attempt such exercises. It would yield greater patience and compassion as they represent us around the world. Anyway, I'll end this rant and continue on to our fantastic day!
The group headed toward Trinity College for a presentation from Jan and a speaker panel he arranged composed of two entrepreneurs, Andrew Parish and Manmeet Abrol, and David Collings, a professor and talent management expert at the college. Jan's presentation began with a group discussion of thoughts on leadership from each person in the group. There were many stories making for a diverse discussion on the topic with each bringing a unique perspective. In the aggregate, it was a thought-provoking introduction on the principles we would discuss. Empathy, listening, self-awareness, risk and failure were explored.
We then transitioned to Andrew Parish. He has had an extraordinary career but not how you might think. Instead of the typical entrepreneur success story that ends in becoming a multi-millionaire after an IPO or private equity sale, his career has gone back and forth between entrepreneurship, private sector and governmental work, composed of some failures and the onerous internal conflict of a desire to remain a risky entrepreneur and the pragmatism of a steady job to provide for his family. You could see the strife in his expression as he gave a raw and genuine account of the various pros and cons of each path and the risk and dedication it takes to be an entrepreneur. He also stressed the importance of finding a mentor your can trust and how accountability and openness are paramount in leadership. It was spellbinding to hear such veracity and authenticity, qualities I'm noticing are consistent in the Irish.
"Be clear on what you want to get out of it before you get into it" - Andrew Parish
Manmeet and David entered and offered varying perspectives on the same topics. Manmeet has had a fascinating career in finance with the Ritz-Carlton group. He discussed his path to becoming a successful entrepreneur in Dublin with quiet confidence. He offered much meaningful advice throughout the discussion such as defining one's strengths and weaknesses, having confidence, telling your story and the clever quip S.T.U.P.I.D. - Smart Talented Unique Person In Demand. Meaning, always ask questions and don't be afraid to appear stupid. In person, he clearly exuded all of the qualities he endorsed and had a humble, gentle brilliance.
"Sell your vision everyday to yourself" - Manmeet Abrol
David brought a distinctive perspective from his academic research. Among other topics, he discussed how Ireland has a unique business culture with its leaders and emphasized their style that has fostered a healthy work culture because of genuine concern for their people and community, a stark contrast in many ways from the American business culture. Also, the concept that ability and motivation are important but that opportunity is critical. This comports with many books and research I've read over the years and I agree wholeheartedly. As a leader, opportunity and trust in your employees are paramount to the development of a passionate culture. Finally, he emphasized the importance of competency and consistency in creating trust and building relationships. Indeed! Jan continued with his presentation to tie the whole segment together with a discussion of the Patagonia crucible and principles to abide by for successful leadership including the 3 Pillars - Leading Self, Leading Others and Leading Organizations. The key takeaway for me was the idea of testing yourself and reframing things. This rang true for me in my career. This journey and program I'm on is another way to test myself and reframe my vision of personal success. Four hours flew by in what seemed like 15 minutes. This was an enlightening experience and I'm grateful for the panel sparing personal time for us and Jan for organizing and presenting.
"Relationships are deeper in Ireland" - David Collings
Our day continued after lunch with a visit to the Iveagh House, headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Jack McCormack was our host and we were joined by several others that gave us a brief presentation of Irish history and economic development to date. Unsurprisingly, agriculture and whiskey are key exports around the world. Also, Ireland is ranked #9 in foreign direct investment, an impressive feat for a country its size. Jack led an interesting discussion on the bilateral role of his department in stimulating business relations both in Ireland by foreign companies and capital investment by Irish companies in the United States. A very constructive and level-headed approach to economic development. Pragmatism and altruism are other qualities seemingly ubiquitous in Ireland. We moved to a brief Q & A session with the group which led to various diplomatic answers, as expected from an official government agency. However, they were quite candid in their stance that Brexit is an unwanted result for Ireland and did not support it despite its history with the U.K. and Ireland's potential benefit from the fallout. Jack generously gave us a brief tour of the beautiful building that was granted to Ireland by Arthur Guinness and we were rapidly on our way to our next stop, the Dail.
The Dail, similar to most other bicameral parliamentary systems, is the lower house of the Oireachtas and governmental body for Ireland. Louise, our tour guide, led us on a short tour of the Leinster House which was abbreviated because of ongoing renovations. She explained their governmental system and showed us into the Oireachtas, the main chamber where the politicians, or TDs, debate and vote on legislation. A brief stop at the relocated Seaned chamber came next accompanied by an explanation of roles and seat placement. The tour concluded and, as we were escorted off of the premises, it ended our whirlwind of a day. Tomorrow we head to Belfast but I've enjoyed this second visit to Dublin, seeing it in a new light. Until tomorrow...
The group headed toward Trinity College for a presentation from Jan and a speaker panel he arranged composed of two entrepreneurs, Andrew Parish and Manmeet Abrol, and David Collings, a professor and talent management expert at the college. Jan's presentation began with a group discussion of thoughts on leadership from each person in the group. There were many stories making for a diverse discussion on the topic with each bringing a unique perspective. In the aggregate, it was a thought-provoking introduction on the principles we would discuss. Empathy, listening, self-awareness, risk and failure were explored.
We then transitioned to Andrew Parish. He has had an extraordinary career but not how you might think. Instead of the typical entrepreneur success story that ends in becoming a multi-millionaire after an IPO or private equity sale, his career has gone back and forth between entrepreneurship, private sector and governmental work, composed of some failures and the onerous internal conflict of a desire to remain a risky entrepreneur and the pragmatism of a steady job to provide for his family. You could see the strife in his expression as he gave a raw and genuine account of the various pros and cons of each path and the risk and dedication it takes to be an entrepreneur. He also stressed the importance of finding a mentor your can trust and how accountability and openness are paramount in leadership. It was spellbinding to hear such veracity and authenticity, qualities I'm noticing are consistent in the Irish.
"Be clear on what you want to get out of it before you get into it" - Andrew Parish
Manmeet and David entered and offered varying perspectives on the same topics. Manmeet has had a fascinating career in finance with the Ritz-Carlton group. He discussed his path to becoming a successful entrepreneur in Dublin with quiet confidence. He offered much meaningful advice throughout the discussion such as defining one's strengths and weaknesses, having confidence, telling your story and the clever quip S.T.U.P.I.D. - Smart Talented Unique Person In Demand. Meaning, always ask questions and don't be afraid to appear stupid. In person, he clearly exuded all of the qualities he endorsed and had a humble, gentle brilliance.
"Sell your vision everyday to yourself" - Manmeet Abrol
David brought a distinctive perspective from his academic research. Among other topics, he discussed how Ireland has a unique business culture with its leaders and emphasized their style that has fostered a healthy work culture because of genuine concern for their people and community, a stark contrast in many ways from the American business culture. Also, the concept that ability and motivation are important but that opportunity is critical. This comports with many books and research I've read over the years and I agree wholeheartedly. As a leader, opportunity and trust in your employees are paramount to the development of a passionate culture. Finally, he emphasized the importance of competency and consistency in creating trust and building relationships. Indeed! Jan continued with his presentation to tie the whole segment together with a discussion of the Patagonia crucible and principles to abide by for successful leadership including the 3 Pillars - Leading Self, Leading Others and Leading Organizations. The key takeaway for me was the idea of testing yourself and reframing things. This rang true for me in my career. This journey and program I'm on is another way to test myself and reframe my vision of personal success. Four hours flew by in what seemed like 15 minutes. This was an enlightening experience and I'm grateful for the panel sparing personal time for us and Jan for organizing and presenting.
"Relationships are deeper in Ireland" - David Collings
Our day continued after lunch with a visit to the Iveagh House, headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Jack McCormack was our host and we were joined by several others that gave us a brief presentation of Irish history and economic development to date. Unsurprisingly, agriculture and whiskey are key exports around the world. Also, Ireland is ranked #9 in foreign direct investment, an impressive feat for a country its size. Jack led an interesting discussion on the bilateral role of his department in stimulating business relations both in Ireland by foreign companies and capital investment by Irish companies in the United States. A very constructive and level-headed approach to economic development. Pragmatism and altruism are other qualities seemingly ubiquitous in Ireland. We moved to a brief Q & A session with the group which led to various diplomatic answers, as expected from an official government agency. However, they were quite candid in their stance that Brexit is an unwanted result for Ireland and did not support it despite its history with the U.K. and Ireland's potential benefit from the fallout. Jack generously gave us a brief tour of the beautiful building that was granted to Ireland by Arthur Guinness and we were rapidly on our way to our next stop, the Dail.
The Dail, similar to most other bicameral parliamentary systems, is the lower house of the Oireachtas and governmental body for Ireland. Louise, our tour guide, led us on a short tour of the Leinster House which was abbreviated because of ongoing renovations. She explained their governmental system and showed us into the Oireachtas, the main chamber where the politicians, or TDs, debate and vote on legislation. A brief stop at the relocated Seaned chamber came next accompanied by an explanation of roles and seat placement. The tour concluded and, as we were escorted off of the premises, it ended our whirlwind of a day. Tomorrow we head to Belfast but I've enjoyed this second visit to Dublin, seeing it in a new light. Until tomorrow...
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