Editorial
A Plea for Integrity and Conviction
More than forty years of professional experience leave their mark – not just on a résumé, but especially on one’s attitude. My journey was not a stroll down red carpets but a walk through diverse paths shaped by responsibility, transformation, and entrepreneurial clarity. From public service to international chemical trade to founding my own company, I’ve experienced what it means to actively shape things. Today, in a working world that reinvents itself daily, we need a clear compass and personalities willing to set the direction: This is my plea for integrity in times of change.
Indian-born Navin C. Joshi has had a diverse career – from engineer to civil servant to sustainability expert. What unites his professional stations is his passion for writing, which not only gives him identity but also motivation. He describes the moment of realization with the phrase: “Your job gives you security, your passion gives you identity.”
Business consultant Nelima Kumari adds that life is not about juggling roles, but about finding meaningful balance. Passion, she says, is the key to clarity in priorities.
At the same time, a critical look at the German economy and work culture: Productivity growth declined by 0.8% in 2024, while countries like the USA and China saw increases. Job interviews increasingly focus on four-day weeks and work-life balance rather than goals and motivation.
One entrepreneur puts it bluntly: “We’ve taught a generation that work is the enemy.” This accusation hits a nerve – it shows how attitudes toward work have shifted.
Navin C. Joshi’s inspiring life path illustrates that such personal development needs a supportive societal environment — one that recognizes performance, encourages rather than hinders, and distinguishes true balance from mere convenience.
This is also how I understand Ludwig Erhard’s concept of the social market economy: No one is fundamentally left behind, and everyone contributes to the economic and social fabric within their means.
A fitting image for this might be a passenger train: Not everyone can afford a comfortable window seat – some sit on hard benches, others in the aisle or in the middle, and some must even stand. Some may have had their ticket paid for by fellow travelers. But all are heading in the same direction, with the goal that everyone completes the journey – more or less comfortably, but together.
Walter Thieme
WTH Partner
