Many of us worry that we don’t fit in. Here’s why being different is okay. In fact, it’s a good sign! This really hit home at the International Finance Corporation‘s Conference on regenerative agriculture in Dublin.
What a feast it was to be in the company of so many brilliant minds who have been coming up with innovative solutions to feed the world without destroying the planet. Here were several hundreds of people pulling up their sleeves to do good while doing well in their business. It was truly the best of both our self-interest-oriented Me-Mind and group-wellbeing-focused We-Mind! I feel reassured that it is possible to undo the damage that human greed and ignorance have caused. But the clock is ticking.
That’s why I invite you to pay attention, even if you’re not into AgriTech. For the record: I am not at all, but a friend invited me to come along. So, here are my five takeaways for overall success:
- First and foremost: please, give yourself permission to use all of your gifts, instead of holding back for fear of being rejected or ridiculed because you’re ‘different’. If you feel like the odd one out, rejoice. It’s a sign that you have some superpowers. Find out what they are. Set free all of your potential. Carve your own path. I don’t think any of the participants of that conference worried about not fitting in. It’s the misfits who have true impact. The world needs you!
- Fail, fail, and fail again. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary: without failure, you’re not learning and you miss out on the chance to excel. Even speakers on stage admitted that some things had gone wrong. But did they walk away from it? Often, ‘wrong’ only means things didn’t turn out as you expected. Not setting rigid expectations already helps. And then, there is no such thing as total failure. These innovators broke up their ‘failures’ into small steps and found that some parts needed improving and others were successful. Instead of dreading it, they welcomed criticism as feedback about what to address.
- Find and cherish your higher purpose. The conference clearly demonstrated how technical innovations, like artificial intelligence, are gold in the hands of people who want to improve and save lives. But brainpower and tech, just like capital, are tools that can be used for good or for bad. Our humanity is what matters. And working in the service of a higher purpose is what truly motivates.
- We-minded leadership is required more than ever. The story that (in business) only the fittest have the right to survive needs an urgent rewrite. We need to care and share. Small farmers produce nearly half of all the food that we consume worldwide. But more than half of them live below the poverty line. They can’t feed themselves and their families properly, they often don’t have sufficient means to get their perishable crop to market in time or pay for care in case of disease or an accident. How can we expect these farmers to keep producing our food, let alone reduce emissions or soil depletion, if we don’t pay them more, educate and support them? That’s what many of the conference participants were actually about. They were often collaborating with other organizations who provided different expertise. Even some giants who compete in the agri-industry have partnered to adopt better practices, and define the metrics for ‘granular sustainability’. By caring for the planet instead of ruthlessly pursuing profit, the long-term gain is bigger for all, they found.
- Keep challenging ‘authority’. In the typical me-minded way, companies or big systems like the commodity market tend to keep it a secret how for example, they set prices, what data they collect and how it’s used. Our economies tend to be driven by this mind, or value system, that can make us look after ourselves even if that’s at the expense of others. Being transparent, on the other hand, opens up possibilities for improvement and – importantly – more fairness. For example, the disclosure of how much everyone earns has lead to more equal pay between women and men.
I hope you now know why being different is more than okay. So, what’s your superpower? Our planet’s problems seem endless. That’s why every contribution counts, big or small. If you feel that you have so much more to offer, but you’re not coming into your own, do the world a favor and set yourself free. If you need a hand, you know where to find me.