Providentia Ltd. (http://providentia.fi/) was launched in Helsinki, Finland, in August 2009. Providentia’s consultants offer leadership seminars based on the Havard Virtuous Leadership model, and its mission is to support the re-awakening of a holistic, virtue-based approach to leadership in the 21st century. Prudence or practical wisdom (Lat. prudentia), one of the key leadership virtues, stems from foresight (providentia).

 Alexandre Havard’s Virtuous Leadership (New York: Scepter Publishers 2007) was finally published in Finnish as Hyvejohtajuus (Providentia 2009). The book publishing event took place at the legendary and elegant Cafe Aalto, downtown Helsinki. Approximately 100 people followed the panel discussion. Among the panelists were Alexandre Havard himself, who flew in from Moscow, the Finnish MEPs Timo Soini and Sari Essayah (from Brussels), and Providentia’s economist Oskari Juurikkala. Jan Ahonen, as the interviewer and host, did an excellent job. The topic of the discussion — virtues, leadership, and their interplay in the modern society — is very serious. Yet the panelists were able to discuss it in a very encouraging and positive way: not unfrequently were there roars of laughter. The host read excerpts from the book and asked a follow-up question, often a very pointed one, say, about the differences of men and women in leadership.