4 pm during leadership training for middle managers in the Alps. The new Japanese senior leader Ishikawa San is invited to get into an open dialogue with these young and high potential managers. Ishikawa San was well known of being not only successful business wise but for having developed many talented and inspiring people in his organization and also for his high sense of integrity.

One participant asks him: “You have been a leader for 20 years now and have experienced different styles and overcome many challenges all over the world, what is your leadership secret?”

Ishikawa San answers: “ For most people being the leader means being top of a pyramid and they try all their life very hard to climb up the hill, what I learned over the years to be successful is to turn the pyramid ups and down and to try hard to stay at the bottom!”

Silence in the room … that kind of silence you know now something unusual happened, now some of these young people had an Aha!