We are on the move in our journeys around the world(s). The simultaneous coexistence and immediacy of different worlds have become part of our everyday lives. Sometimes we are virtually connected or traveling to China, Japan, the USA, Korea, Chad, Somalia, or somewhere else on this planet. At the same time, we experience important moments in daily life: swimming with our German-Lebanese godchild, caring for grandchildren, or tending to our mother.
This would not be possible without the ability for intercultural and interspiritual encounter and communication. The capacity to connect with markets, people, and cultures is crucial. We are opening spaces that previously did not exist.
Since the onset of the pandemic at the latest, we have learned: truth is becoming increasingly relative. For instance: currently, Germans can travel to China visa-free for four weeks, but the reverse is not possible. In the USA, as Europeans with historically sharpened sensitivities, we feel the growing power of the state. Even rational business processes are changing: today, a drop in revenue means something different than it did just a few years ago.
Now more than ever, it’s about “framing” truths. Fortunately, artificial intelligence still cannot do this. Orientation in life is essential—and this has always required role models. Leaders, by virtue of their role, are role models.
Where do we find role models in today’s world? What is the standard? For whom am I a role model? What am I proud of? How open are we to joyful role models, to the vibrant and alive?—How do I find my role models in the world?