A recurrent theme in discussions on training, particularly management training, is the development of a culture of general knowledge, yet it is often hard to achieve alongside contemporary practices. Such a culture is often associated with a social role diametrically opposed to the real needs of our times. The truth is that expanding general knowledge and giving it a central role in the training of our future top managers is necessary for the development of independent thinking and application of intelligence in human situations. These capabilities are needed for decision-making in a rapidly changing world in which modern life is posing a challenge to many fundamental principles.
Culture and Command
Following a period in which specialised knowledge was the only thing encouraged, a culture of general knowledge is returning to the training scene, particularly at management level, and to the criteria used for the selection of managers. In such a climate, it is inevitable that the service officer will turn to the words of General de Gaulle, themselves inspired by the example of Alexander the Great.(1)
Experience in the conduct of military action highlights the value of having a fresh look at a culture all too often seen as a distant relative of classical humanities, and accused of being both outmoded and entrenched when faced with the demands of the modern world. But the acquisition of general knowledge is a continuous process and the result of great effort. We should nevertheless avoid an excessively academic view and include within ‘general knowledge’ all fields of learning, of art and of human knowledge, and encompass the fruits of experience as well as observation.
There is nothing more up to date than such knowledge; it is a source of freedom, of independence of mind, that allows a decision-maker to plan, direct, think and conduct action. Moreover, there is nothing more tiameless than the search for the means to found a project and to develop one’s knowledge of mankind.
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