So... let's sum up 2 full days of inputs & thoughts from some of the most brilliant minds in management and leadership - such as Amy Edmondson, Tamara J. (Tammy) Erickson, Maud Bailly, Dr. Simone Ahuja, Rahaf Harfoush, Gary Hamel, Rita McGrath and many more - in about 2 minutes! Not exactly easy. This is why, in my first-time role as Conference Chair of the Global Peter Drucker Forum, I chose a different approach in the Closing and took on Charles Handy's advice. I cannot tell you what you will take away or, to use the words of Peter Drucker, what you will do differently on Monday morning. I can only give you a gentle reminder of what we have experienced.
What I hence did, was collect some of my favourite quotes that were said during the event and invite for a few minutes of reflection whilst I read them out.
"Leaders should be humble, generous & curious."
"The new KPIs must be: Keep People Interested, Involved & Inspired!"
"The biggest key on our computer keyboard is the space button - make sure to give yourself a break."
"If values are only post-its on walls, they are propaganda."
"Skip the gym. If you wanna stay healthy, get a purpose."
"Everything that counts cannot be counted."
"People realised, even if they win the rat race, they are still a rat."
"You need one eye in the telescope & one eye in the microscope at the same time."
"Purpose is silent as it is true generosity."
"Absorb anxiety. Deliver energy."
"Go for a walk. Discover Vienna. Discover yourself. You'd be surprised to find how good you are."
What happened was that 400 people, who must have been exhausted at that point, suddenly calmed down, closed their eyes and listened. They were transported back to a theatre performance that made us aware we can't constantly run after our goals as "Godot never comes"; to a truly moving video by "organisational sage" Charles Handy sharing his life wisdom; to a gala dinner that celebrated the creative spirit of 450 young people who participated in the Drucker Challenge essay competition and many moments of laughter and contemplation during the panel discussions. May every one of the 400 participants find their valid takeaways and leave a conference like this not only inspired but also somehow changed - as positive transformation and real action are the only things that will truly help us deal with the complexity of the challenges we face.
PS: Please be aware of how I colour-matched my outfit to the moderation cards. One's gotta get credit for that.