New Book Edition Inspired by Development and Heritage in Rome

By

I have just begun a two month visit to Accademia di Danimarca in Rome, where I’ll be starting a new process of the international edition of “The Authentic Company”. During the next week I will be finishing the Danish edition of the book “The Authentic Company”. It examines what the three dimensions of authenticity is, how they can be mapped and illustrates through examples how leaders can handle authentic organizational identity. An impressive line of leaders, founders and owners have agreed to enter a discussion of their management practice and the authenticity of their organizations. The Authentic Company offers case studies from Ducati, Alessi, Ferragamo, Hästens, LEGO, BMW, Novozymes and the World’s no. 1 restaurant, Noma. The Danish book should be out on Gyldendal this fall… Finally!

In Rome I will be starting the process of an international edition of the book. I will be collaborating with several Italian institutions and organizations as well as discussing a possible Italian publication. Italy is a leading nation in terms of celebrating and utilizing the heritage of organizations, it being commercial companies, industries, cities or regions. More than 50 Italian companies celebrate their cultural history in large high-end corporate museums. The museums are organized in l’Associazione Museimpresa, which is unique in the World. One of the fundamental paradoxes I discuss is, how heritage can be a driver of identity as well as a limitation for development and innovation. A question that leaders across industries and organizations struggle with, it being Alessi, Ducati or the city of Rome.

One of the debates of recent development of Rome is that it takes ages to build the Metro because of the massive presence of ancient history under every street and piazza. Every time they start to dig tunnels, new archeologic treasures pop up. The development of Metro A opened in the 1980s and it took 20 years to build, delayed by archeology. How do you lead and develop a city which is constantly on the verge of becoming a museum of ancient history rather than a place of contemporary life and ongoing development? ABC News reported on the story a couple of years ago.