These days in our beloved Peru, we are celebrating 205 years of independence. This coincides with the inauguration of new government authorities. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the dual nature of leadership: wisdom and service to others.

In that regard, I will begin with the definition of the word wisdom, which, according to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), is primarily the highest degree of knowledge. It also encompasses prudent conduct in life or business and profound knowledge in the sciences, humanities, or arts.

Whereas in the case of the word service, the RAE defines it mainly as the action and effect of serving.

In this regard, the history of the Christian world tells us that there is no person wiser than Solomon, King of Israel, who inherited the throne from his father, King David.

However, it is necessary to clarify that Solomon’s wisdom did not lie in the fact that he possessed the highest degree of knowledge or because he had a deep understanding of a particular subject.

In this regard, Solomon’s wisdom consisted of knowing how to listen and discern, in any matter he had before him, seeking and choosing the greater good, making the result be at the service of others.

However, now that a new change of government authorities is beginning, we must not remain idle, waiting for them to solve everything; let us be proactive from the place we occupy, whether as ordinary citizens, parents, social leaders, business leaders, etc.

And to paraphrase John F. Kennedy’s famous quote… “Don’t wait for the authorities of your country to provide solutions; from your position, contribute simple, scalable, and imitable actions.”

I also share five tips related to the shared responsibility of each citizen in seeking the common good:

1. Whether you’re a pedestrian or driving a vehicle or motorcycle, let’s respect traffic signs.
2. Let’s take care of our neighborhood environment, for example, bus stops, parks, and other public and private places.
3. Let’s not throw trash in the street.
4. We all can and have the right to express our opinion on a particular topic; let’s always accompany this opinion with solid arguments.
5. Let’s communicate in all areas with sincerity, honesty, and respect. Let’s not resort to disparaging others.

That’s why the popular saying goes that wisdom comes with age. And along those lines, the American writer Mark Twain observed: “Life would be infinitely happier if we could be born at the age of 80 and gradually reach 18.”

In conclusion, you and I are still part of this young country, so we have time to take concrete steps and unleash the power of our personal leadership, through wisdom and service to others.

Come on, let’s speak with one voice, I invite you to say “Happy Independence Day” and always remember: Row hard, against the current and out to sea!