It has been raining all morning in Valencia, Spain. Around midday, as the sun begins to peek its head out briefly, I decide to venture out for some fresh air. He drops me off in the Paseo Neptuno area. The area is filled with a bunch of local restaurants, the beach, and yes, the ocean. I walk for a bit then randomly walk into a restaurant named La Pepica for some paella. It used to be made with the short-grained rice of the kind grown in vast paddies just outside of the city of Valencia.
Sitting at that lunch table, watching the waves crashing on the sand and the huge poster on the wall of Hemingway eating paella — his large, lighted cigar next to him — made me recall The Old Man And The Sea. After finishing my lunch in very leisurely manner, I decide to light up my cigar [like Hemingway : ] and take a long walk on the boardwalk. As I walk outside, my eyes become fixated on an old man who was intensely working on a sand castle.
It is up to us to listen to the universe! While Michael Porter emphasizes creating competitive advantage through efficiency and maximizing customer value, Hoque extends this with a focus on sustainability and ethical implications, advocating for a balance between immediate business goals and long-term societal impacts.
His emphasis on ethical considerations and sustainability helps businesses meet global challenges such as those outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDGs , enhancing corporate responsibility and stakeholder relationships.
This approach not only fosters adaptability and resilience in changing markets but also positions companies to thrive in a socially conscious business environment, ensuring their growth is both profitable and beneficial to broader societal and environmental objectives. While Senge focuses on the learning aspects within organizations, Hoque extends this to include ethical leadership and societal impact, broadening the scope to address a wider range of global challenges.
