Global Shapers is not about Arcadis, it’s about me and you. This might be controversial but this is my honest opinion. Let me prove to you how I came to this conclusion by sharing with you, my key learnings from the program.
1. Use your two feet.
We used the open workflow method where Global Shapers were free to do the task that interested them the most. On second thought this is more than a workflow method but an attitude. Something that can be inculcated in our daily life.
What this practice taught me is that you could either wait for things to change, or you could use your two feet, walk to your goal and make it happen. It requires energy and the drive to do so.
So the next time I’m faced with a problem, I will remind myself not to be stagnant. Think of solutions and move towards achieving it. Surely I’m not the first person to face the same problem. I will ask myself more questions in search of more answers. It’s about me taking a decision. Global Shapers is about me and you.
2. Personality vs. Attitude
“It’s not what I am that defines me, it’s what I do”- Batman. You’d be surprised how you find wisdom in the strangest of places, a movie dialogue based on a comic book, but I digress. You are what you are right now, due to a beautiful mixture of nature and nurture. But at a certain point in life you are faced with choices and options. What you are before that choice is your personality, what you chose is your attitude. The MBTI is just a step towards understanding your complicated self (relatively Monks take years to achieve enlightenment) but it is a step in the right direction nonetheless.
I learnt more about myself and identified my strengths and weaknesses. I can now use my strengths and work hard on improving on my weaknesses. It will help me identify other people’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s about me identifying and encouraging your strengths while me being mindful of your weaknesses and offering criticism and help. Global Shapers is about me and you.
3. Victory comes in Harmony
It’s a lesson that can only be learnt in the company of people that you learn to accept. Imagine people who use their two feet and bring their best attitude forward (being fully aware of their personality). It is the best kind of collaboration. We now have people who are eager to think and solve problems. People who want do good and create something meaningful. People who are mindful of others shortcomings, but choose to play to each other’s strengths. People who want to work together to create a legacy. It’s about me and you working together, being the best, having fun and improving the quality of life. Global Shapers is about me and you.
I think I’ve given enough evidence to support my hypothesis. This article is just but a permutation of lessons that 1 out of 100 Global Shapers has taken home. I can’t even begin to imagine the combinations of lessons, memories and experiences, if each one of us out of the 100 were to describe it. So here’s me trying to share my story. It’s a little different but it’s a start.
My parting note would be to reinforce the idea that Global Shapers is about me and you. But me and you ARE Arcadis.
Nikhil Stephen, Global Shaper Generation 2015, Arcadis Middle East
