Shortly after my 21st birthday, I went on hiatus from university, and lived in Uruguay for a year as a missionary. Because I had studied Spanish in school, I thought I knew Spanish. It turns out I didn’t; I could say little, understand less. After eight months, when I was assigned to a town in the interior of Uruguay where no one spoke English, I finally learned to speak, understand, and even think in Spanish. I had to, to survive.
Innovation Needs a Lingua Franca
Living in the unknown opens up space for new ideas. Then you need to communicate them.
July 19, 2013
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New!
HBR Learning
Writing Skills Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports.