There are moments when a conversation inside a company meeting room turns into something bigger: a reflection on how people, culture, and connection shape the way we grow. That was the atmosphere during the Adidas Career Workshop held at Rome Business School, where the discussion went far beyond business strategy.
The speakers from Adidas spoke about sport, creativity, and collaboration, but what truly resonated was a universal idea: progress begins with people. In a world increasingly driven by performance, Adidas’ vision — “Through sport, we have the power to change lives” — served as a reminder to pause and reconsider what growth truly means.
Every successful organization has a culture, but not all of them manage to make it a shared experience. Adidas’ approach shows how culture can turn into connection: an open environment where ideas circulate freely, hierarchies flatten, and everyone is encouraged to contribute.
It’s a model that transcends industries. Whether in business, education, or creative fields, the key to innovation lies in creating spaces where people feel part of something larger than themselves. Connection fuels motivation, and in turn, it fuels growth.
The workshop also highlighted a shift that affects every modern professional: technology may give us insights, but only human understanding creates meaning. Companies today rely on data and AI to anticipate behavior, yet the real challenge is to keep the human touch alive.
As the Adidas team noted, “it’s not only about analytics, it’s about emotions.” This balance—between the measurable and the emotional—is becoming one of the defining skills of the future of work.
Leadership, too, is being rewritten. The most effective leaders are no longer those who simply direct, but those who connect, who listen, engage, and create shared purpose. Adidas’ way of working, where collaboration replaces competition, mirrors a broader cultural shift: people want to belong, not just perform.
For the students attending the workshop, the takeaway was clear. Learning about a global brand like Adidas is not just about understanding its marketing strategies or its market presence; it’s about seeing how values and human connection translate into real organizational energy.
When companies invest in people, by listening and involving them, they build something that algorithms cannot replicate: a sense of belonging.
Growth today is less about acceleration and more about alignment. It’s about connecting ideas, people, and purposes across cultures and contexts.
The Adidas conversation at Rome Business School was a reminder that behind every brand, every strategy, and every innovation, there is always a human story, and that story remains the most powerful tool for progress.
