There are books we read as children and barely understand. And then there are books that return to us when we are ready.
The Little Prince is one of them.
I first read it as a child and remember feeling confused — even bored at times. Reading it again now, at the beginning of a new chapter, it feels entirely different.
Not because the story changed. But I had.
Recently, I was selected as a Beyond the Bench Leadership Fellow, and we kicked off our journey in person discussing the Little Prince with Joanne Rodriguez our first speaker. Joanne is the Founder, Strategic Advisor, and now a Board Member at Mycocycle, a pioneering company in mycelium-based technology, committed to transforming waste into better, more sustainable materials. Joanne now works as Partnerships Director at the The Biomimicry Institute.
I left the session feeling truly inspired — not just by her transition into becoming a solo female founder in green tech, but by one message that stood out most clearly: Leadership comes with responsibility.
Her emphasis on transparency reflected integrity, honesty, and reliability in action. It wasn’t abstract. It was lived.
Per her choice, we revisited The Little Prince.
For someone emerging out of many years of study and entering a broader career — a scientist deep in her work now stepping into leadership — this book feels like the perfect beginning.
To me, its core message is that what truly matters is often invisible:
Connection.
Curiosity.
Imagination.
And I couldn’t help but notice how beautifully this aligns with Beyond the Bench’s mission.
Connection:
A smaller cohort that created space — more time to listen, more room to be vulnerable, and a sense of openness that made honest conversations possible.
Curiosity:
Being eager to learn from others by listening deeply and recognizing the invaluable lessons that come from other people’s journeys.
Imagination:
Thinking more like the Little Prince and less within the rigid guardrails of adulthood — whether navigating career transitions, building a company, or exploring unconventional paths forward.
“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”
That line feels different when you are no longer only accountable for your own work, but for a team, a company, or a mission.
As I continue this journey with our lead facilitators and my fellows, I keep coming back to that final idea — the bonds we choose to care for.
Networking, much like dating, teaches you what resonates and what doesn’t. Along the way, you meet many people: some who may not align with your path, and others who will move mountains to help you grow.
Learning to recognize and nurture those meaningful connections feels like one of the most valuable lessons of this chapter.
Because leadership is not just about achievement — it is about stewardship.
And perhaps that is why The Little Prince resonates now.
Not because we finally understand it. But because we are finally ready to carry what it asks of us.