Gianni Ciserani Talking of Confidence and Dreams

"The most important gift Bocconi will give you hasn't to do with books: it's self-confidence", said Gianni Ciserani, Group President, P&G Global Fabric&Home Care, Global Baby and Feminine Care, Wednesday evening, during a talk with MSc students for the series "A conversation with...", organized by the Bocconi Graduate School for a limited number of students to encourage interaction between guest speakers and audience.

Self-confidence and inner strength, the manager argued, are important in a company because these are the only qualities that allow one to honestly admit their failures and move on. "Too often, instead, a failure is followed by excuses, that prevent us from learning from our mistakes"

"Any journey to change has to start building confidence around us, in people we work with. You need people that tell you they think you are wrong. When a manager launches a new project, those that approve it are vocal, the rest tend to be silent. I ask everyone to voice their disagreement and, usually, five minutes of silence follow, because they are not sure I really mean it. When they understand that I mean it, the best part starts, because we can discuss pros and cons. Maybe I change my mind only 30% of the times, but it's thanks to the discussion that I fully realize the risks we are facing".

Gianni Ciserani, Bocconi Alumnus of the Year 2012, told students of how he started his journey at Bocconi, transforming from a young student with a difficult background, willing to accept any job offer, into a confident graduate, capable of fulfilling his own dreams.