{"id":137040,"date":"2025-05-08T11:50:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T09:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/?p=137040"},"modified":"2025-05-08T11:50:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T09:50:22","slug":"the-void-and-the-fire-massimo-recalcati-explores-the-soul-of-organizations-at-bologna-business-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/the-void-and-the-fire-massimo-recalcati-explores-the-soul-of-organizations-at-bologna-business-school\/","title":{"rendered":"The Void and the Fire: Massimo Recalcati explores the soul of organizations at Bologna Business School"},"content":{"rendered":"

“The beginning never stops beginning”<\/span><\/i> \u2013 with these words, Massimo Recalcati captured the essence of his theory on organizations, recently presented at Bologna Business School. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The event, centered around his latest book <\/span>The Void and the Fire<\/span><\/i>, offered a profound insight into the unconscious dynamics that animate collective subjects.<\/span><\/p>\n

In conversation with Max Bergami, Dean and CEO of Bologna Business School, and Andrea Lipparini, Associate Dean for the MBA programs, the renowned psychoanalyst drew a parallel between the endurance of love and the vitality of institutions. <\/span>“When love endures over time, it is because it is always the first kiss,”<\/span><\/i> Recalcati explained. <\/span>“The beginning continues to begin anew.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

At the heart of his analysis are four unconscious codes that govern every organization. The <\/span>paternal code<\/b> balances law and desire, avoiding both authoritarianism and inconclusiveness. The <\/span>maternal code<\/b> preserves the distinction between name and number, reminding us that <\/span>“there is nothing worse than working in an organization and feeling like a number.”<\/span><\/i> The <\/span>fraternal code<\/b> cultivates what Recalcati defines as <\/span>“team narcissism”<\/b>, a sense of belonging that transcends individual rivalries. Finally, the <\/span>feminine code<\/b> safeguards singularity, countering conformist uniformity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Particularly striking was his reflection on contemporary leadership, which Recalcati clearly distinguishes from the <\/span>“master’s discourse.”<\/b> A true leader, he argued, is not one who imposes vertical authority, but one who <\/span>testifies to the fire<\/b> and, above all, knows how to <\/span>safeguard the void<\/b>. <\/span>“If a leader wants the fire to spread within the organization, they must not fill the void,”<\/span><\/i> he stated, emphasizing the need to <\/span>“dissociate responsibility from ownership.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Addressing the theme of founders, Recalcati shared a penetrating observation: <\/span>“In the eyes of founders, there is the desert.”<\/span><\/i> Their greatest challenge is to know how to <\/span>set<\/b>, cultivating a <\/span>long-term vision<\/b> aimed at ensuring their succession.<\/span><\/p>\n

The discussion concluded with a broader diagnosis of our times, characterized by an <\/span>“unprecedented link between paranoia and melancholy,”<\/b> where democracy represents <\/span>“the best antidote to melancholy,”<\/span><\/i> as it embodies the experience of mourning uniqueness and embracing pluralism.<\/span><\/p>\n

The event confirmed Bologna Business School’s commitment to a model of education that integrates diverse fields of knowledge, offering the <\/span>Community<\/b> valuable conceptual tools to rethink organizations as living entities, capable of preserving their original dynamism against any bureaucratic or authoritarian drift.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“The beginning never stops beginning” \u2013 with these words, Massimo Recalcati captured the essence of his theory on organizations, recently presented at Bologna Business School.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[207,92],"tags":[],"rubrica":[],"class_list":["post-137040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-en-2","category-news-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Void and the Fire: Massimo Recalcati explores the soul of organizations at Bologna Business School | BBS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/the-void-and-the-fire-massimo-recalcati-explores-the-soul-of-organizations-at-bologna-business-school\/\" \/>\n<meta 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