Can the sea and sailing teach us how to live? Robertas Dargis, founder and chairman of Eikos, says yes. He increasingly notices that life is similar to sailing — the most important things are purpose, trust, and responsibility. You need to know your course, trust your crew, make decisions, and plan for backup harbors.

From this experience, Dargis draws a direct line to how individuals, communities, and the state function. He sees trust as the glue of society: without it, it is impossible to build shared institutions or long-term projects. This highlights the importance of communities — only by connecting horizontally, nurturing local leaders, and strengthening self-governance can people break the habit of waiting for the authorities to fix everything for them.

The conversation also touches on education as the foundation of everything: schools should teach students to navigate their environment, understand “where the shallows and rocks are,” and develop financial, economic, and media literacy — but most importantly, the joy of responsibility. The elite then turn this foundation into direction: leading by example, inspiring community initiatives, and passing on the best experiences to the next generation.

On Beyond Economics and Back, entrepreneur and civic leader Robertas Dargis speaks with LFMI president Elena Leontjeva about where the nation is headed, the meaning of life, and how best to raise grandchildren.