Eyal Policar is a graduate of the Master in Leading Innovation and Change (MALIC) program at Robert Kennedy College. He lives in moshav Zofar in a desert in southern Israel half-way between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. Together, he and his wife Leaora manage a farm where they raise dates, peppers, and flowers. As this profile was being written, Eyal wrote to add that he had just received the news that he had been awarded a merit by the board of examiners at York St. John University. “For me this is an outstanding achievement,” he writes.
KB: At first glance, a degree in Innovation and Change might seem like a peculiar choice for a farmer. What drew you to it?
EP: As a 30-year, seasoned innovative farmer I decided to go back and get the grey cells brain trained. I thought of doing a normal MBA until I came across a few articles that argued that there are too many “number experts” out there but the person angle is overlooked. I came across MALIC and immediately fell in love with this angle of the Business school.
Besides being a farmer I teach in AICAT (Arava International Centre for Agricultural Training). We bring 700 agricultural students from the Asian countries over for a 10-month, hands-on experience. I teach Agro-economics and Agro-entrepreneurship and from day one of my studies [in MALIC] I began using my newly gained knowledge, such as Schein’s Cultural Understandings and Kotter’s Eight Stages of Leading Change.
KB: What has been the best part of your experience doing this online degree?
EP: Interaction with other students. Same books, same articles, same questions but such diverse answers and understandings from fellow students; culture galore on the RKC forums. Those who didn’t participate simply didn’t use the resources to the fullest, a shame.
KB: Do you have a favorite local food?
EP: My wife’s cooking. Here we eat “warm” at lunch and light meals in the evening. It’s unbelievable how many different ways there are to cook with peppers, tomatoes, aubergine, basil, tarragon, mint, and dates which we have plenty during the season.
KB: Tell us about the seminar that you have been asked to present by the Rothschild foundation (the Rothschild Ambassadors program, which looks for young people interested in becoming the future business and social leaders of Israel).
EP: One of the most intriguing aspects of leadership is the idea that different situations demand different leadership capabilities. I constructed a seminar picking up on this theme which the Rothschild foundation has asked me to present it to the Rothschild Ambassadors. This is a great honor.
KB: Any advice to MALIC students?
EP: These studies are all about change. Are you a change agent? Can you change? As you read academically and watch the videos, ask yourself: can this idea be part of my life pragmatically. Give yourself examples in your life of things that need to change and put your money where your mouth is.
For instance, the other day my son invited me to a small restaurant in Tel-Aviv. I said to him, today I will order the least appetizing meal on the menu.
“Why?” he asked me.
“Because i am hungry and it takes courage to order the least appetizing meal.”
So I ordered stuffed beets. The stuffing was burghul [a coarse wheat]. Imagine no meat, potatoes or rice. It was one of the best meals I have had in a long time.
KB: You play in a band called The Desert Coolers. Tell us more!
EP: I believe in soul economics, which means there are things you do for your livelihood and things you do for your soul. In my case its music. In my band the Desert Coolers we play oldies.
(Editor’s note: Eyal Policar is interested in keeping in touch with other MALIC alumni to create a kind of active Alumni center. The idea would be to have an outlet for keeping up with and exchanging academic and practical ideas, business opportunities, and a continuation of studies. Anyone interested can contact him through the OnlineCampus or alternatively through LinkedIn).
Eyal, you are an inspiration. May you enjoy your life and inspire others, as a true leader would do.
Raymond
EP, as we call him, deserves this honour. We were in same cohort for our MALIC studies and the Residency. In the course of our studies he proved to be a highly participative and positive influence on the rest of the cohort.
He is a pleasure to work, study and (wait for this…) hang out with, highly humorous and insightful.
Congratulations, EP!
Mabrook EP – really well done. We are all proud of you and look forward to celebrating in November
Hi EP,
Shalom !
Congratulations and good to know that you are inspiring others to follow your steps.
Could you just clarify if your offer to joinning your network is only reserved for those who graduated in MALIC or is opened to others too, since we believe RKC innovative programme drives all of us across countries and continents towards one family one vision with various internal majors.
Please Dear clarify and let us be part of what happens in Israel that beloved country of yours but known to All, especially in your field.
May you and family stay blessed.
Ebene
Congratulations, Eyal! Best wishes for all your endeavors 🙂
Shalom Eyal,
Thank you for sharing your journey with us ‘newest cohorts’ and may I also be successful and inspire others to follow the way you have done for us – in the words of my fellow classmate Raymond …”as a true leader would do”
Slàinte mhòr agus a h-uile beannachd duibh.
(Great health and every good blessing to you… in Scottish)
Angela
EP, you smart, innovation-leading farmer! I am delighted to be associated with you and I’m hoping that I can come to your farm one of these days. God bless the work of your hands.
Friends
thanks for the congrats: I really think we should find a way to stay in touch-feed ourselves socially and academically. YSJU does have an alumni and I think it is important we all join however they do not really have an on-line platform. Those who are coming to York for the graduation are welcome to join me in a meeting I will have with them concerning the Alumni. I had a talk with Dean Costa and Radu about Malic alumni on the RCK website…
In this spirit I ask each of you to recommend to us a book that has influenced you lately…I leave you with some great quotes from the book
Learning for Leadership -(Rice reprint 2002 publisher Karnac books ltd.)
“Leadership involves sensitivity to the feelings and attitudes of others, ability to understand what is happening in a group at the unconscious as well as the conscious level, and skill in acting in ways that contribute to, radier than hinder, task performance.”
“Thus a manager issuing orders for some task performance is leading, or trying co lead, his subordinates; but he is also ‘leading’ when he is acting in such a way that by his behaviour he is, consciously or unconsciously, setting an example. ”
ep
Dear Kelly Boler, thank you for sharing this interview on Mr Policar. He is an inspiring and interesting man. Reading this blog entry right before starting the MALIC program myself has me ready to get started.
Congratulations Mr Policar thank you for your thought provoking insight.
The Farmer of Change –
I hope to become a change agent and follow the priniciples of farming
1. Planting seeds for a future harvest
2. Fertilize and Water
3. Patience and weeding
4. Pray for sunshine
I will keep your advice close, thank you again
Kudos ! This is great stuff ! Need more of this, learning culture and passion to excel
Hi EP.,
Congratulation! You have made us all proud.
Shalom Eyal,
I am deeply inspired by your achievement, I am sure it came with hard-work and determination. I will be very pleased to establish connection with you so I can pick some tips on how to excel on this program. Most importantly, it will be great to keep in touch to share ideas and professional experiences.
Congratulations!!!
Che
Friends
It will be my pleasure for all those wishing to get/stay in touch with me.
Through the RKC mail service – on top.. To the right… White envelope Or
Mail-eyalpolicar@gmail.com. Or
Skype-eyalpo56. Or
Bus number 369 from tel aviv
Going price… For the Birits a cupa tea, all the rest a cold beer- your local brand
Ep
Dear Eyal,
I have occasionally opened this page when looking for some MALIC related info. I am also a MALIC student, with still some yet obscure potential to complete it…
I would like to congratulate you to your honorable achievements!
Let me add that there is MALIC group started with Linkedin by Paul Stanley. It is here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/MALIC-4488557?home=&gid=4488557&trk=anet_ug_hm (as far as I am computer and technology literate and can copy-paste a link). This resource can be used by anyone who know or still wish to know something about MALIC. It could be definitely used, enriched and multiplied. One thing will be however common: change requires an inspiration, which sometimes is definitely brought by beet with wheat :))
This is a tribute to farmers who lead, or leaders who farm. This profession is valuable since it unites a human being (with all human made and sometimes -induced systems) with natural processes (I definitely and never escape environment-related issues in my posts). But let me cite a MALIC source of knowledge (Garrat 2010:87):
‘As far back as 2002 the following email was doing the rounds on the internet – but many thought it was not a joke:
Normal capitalism. You have two cows and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies and the economy grows. You sell the bull and retire.
Enron capitalism. You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed corporation using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank. You then execute a debt/ equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights for the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Islands company, secretly owned by your chief financial officer, who then sells the rights for all seven cows back to your listed corporation. Your annual report states that your corporation owns eight cows, with an option on six more”.
[…] The future is unpredictable so the rational economic models that have driven the markets for so long are not working – if they ever did’. Change and uncertainty are the realities businesses have to adopt and adapt to (this is from other MALIC source 🙂
Conclusion: MALIC is the right choice!
Further recommendation: (no brain for this this evening …. )
And definitely bibliography is missing :))
Ep, Congratulations. So glad to hear that you have been awarded such recognition for your fine work and studies. Wonderful that you are teaching others about leadership, and passing on your knowledge and insights gained from your studies and from your experience. By the way, our ‘dates’ have been the best I have ever tasted! You knew that didn’t you! Hope to meet you again in York.
Warm Regards,
Annette
Hi Mr & Mrs EP,
You are doing very well. If i had my way Mrs Eyal should be awarded the same degree with Mr Eyal. Behind every successful man, they say’ is a woman. Very impressive performance. Congrats. Abraham
Hi EP,
I’m not sure if I congratulated you earlier on that interview. Anyways, It is worth rereading and I am very proud that I am amongst your MALIC group and residential. It’s been a very successful experience of sharing and daring to ask. That’s how I learnt and benefited. I encourage all MALIC students to get in touch and learn from our experience.
Wishing you fruitful seasons round the year.
Nashwa Mehanna