28 September 2017
Madrid Headquarters
What are humanism and competitiveness? How are the two concepts interlinked in our world? What measures can strengthen humanism in respect to competitiveness? These were some of the questions that the President of Bankia, José Ignacio Goirigolzarri, and the philosopher Javier Gomá discussed during a business lunch organised by DBS to mark the opening of the new academic year in Madrid.
The debate was moderated by the Director General of DBS, Luc Theis. Both Gomá and Goirigolzarri took advantage of this opportunity to highlight the fact that the definition of humanism is now subject to revision.
Javier Gomá, who believes the idea has reached our times with an aristocratic bias since it was defined by only a part of society and "we have tried to make it valid for all forever", explained it thus. However, in his opinion, being cultured does not imply having historic awareness and knowing that everything has a changing nature. And this is also applicable to the definition of humanism.
He added that man has “clumsily”, managed to make progress. “And, in actual fact, after so many battles, bloodshed and arguments, there is only one people, which is man, and there is only one principle, which is dignity". He explained that dignity can be defined as that which cannot be taken from us, and which makes individuals capable of withstanding everything.
For his part, the Bankia president focused on connecting the concepts of competitiveness and sustainability. He stated that projects are competitive if they are sustained over time and are sustained over time to the extent to which they are competitive".
José Ignacio Goirigolzarri added that the first condition required for a project or business is that people want it to exist. “No business or project can be sustainable if people don't want it to exist. And this calls for a permanent listening process", he contended, to continue showing that the requirement of generating efficiency entails endowing the firm or project with value and sustained profitability over time. “And this can only be achieved with a motivated team that truly experiences the project and is formed by competent professionals; and ultimately by humanism in the business. Humanism that is complemented by another factor, according to Goirigolzarri, and consists of whether a firm that aspires to being sustainable, respected by society, should be responsible, "which goes beyond the scope of the law. And at the present, this is an integral element in the reputation of any project.
The president of Bankia highlighted that in firms, which are “a mosaic of rights and obligations”, relations should be meritocratic and secondly, long-term objectives should be rewarded or promoted, "in other words, exactly the opposite of corporate climbers".
Goirigolzarri warned that the future of sustainable firms “is not only in the hands of clever people”, but depends on each and every person working in them. Sustainability requires the team commitment and this can only be achieved by respecting people's dignity. He concluded his talk by stating that the only thing that legitimates leadership is examples, which, in his opinion, is never a sole person. Organisations must be seedbeds of potential leaders to be efficiently led.
Gomá insisted on the importance of an enlightened society as this will mean that "people will vote more intelligently; people will buy products more intelligently, punishing some firms and favouring or demands certain behaviour from them.
The banker and the philosopher underscored the need to place emphasis on education as the formula to reach true equality of opportunities and as a tool to tackle the high unemployment rates. They stated that education has to create competent professionals, but also citizens who are aware that they can withstand anything because they have dignity.
The event was attended by firms like Microsoft, Acciona, Bankia, Enagás, Ferrovial, Masmovil or Elecnor and institutions like the Business Leaders Circle, CEOE (Spanish confederation of employers’ associations) or AEB (Spanish banks association), as well as executives like Alfredo Sáenz. The Bishop of Bilbao, and many others were also present.
