Leading Our Way

INTRODUCTION: WHY LEADERSHIP, AND WHY ME?

I WAS RAISED FREE.

Free to play, free to dream, free from roles, free to be and become myself.

How?

Imagine a medieval village on a hilltop, perched on a beautiful volcanic lake, surrounded by green hills, where kids are playing in the streets while old Italian grandmas sitting in the shadow of their doorsteps keep a discrete but constant eye on them.

I was one of those kids.

Used to living outside: be it running up and down the streets, swimming or fishing in the lake, pony riding at the local farm, learning how to use a bicycle on the only flat road along the lake—all while getting all sorts of scars and a variety of rare diseases from the stray cats we would try to cure.

Used to being independent: since age three, I was authorised to walk to the music school by myself—my parents knew there was a network of old ladies sitting by their windows keeping an eye on me; and soon after, I started my summer business to be able to afford candy supplies and gelato for the whole season—selling old books, pots and pans, or any object our neighbours were ready to let go of, to tourists.

Used to standing up for what was important to me, I was well known among the village mayors for bursting into their offices, hardly reaching the height of their desk, to share my lists of complaints—from broken swings to scooters speeding on the street where we were training our bicycle skills; and I was well known in school for standing up for stuff—be it a classmate, ...