In this edition of the Managerial Excellence Masterclasses, we had the immense pleasure of welcoming Virginie Tesson and Bruno Tesson, both co-founders of the “Leaders’ Campus.” With them, we explored an essential topic: how to succeed as a leader by daring to be yourself. Here are the key takeaways from this fascinating presentation.
The mindset of leaders after two years of crisis
Virginie observed a wonderful surprise: the incredible capacity for adaptation and innovation of teams. During the first lockdown, within a few days, companies reorganized, and teams delivered quality results by being responsible and autonomous. Those who thought it impossible did it.
The organization has been shaken up, and there’s no going back. Teams have demonstrated agility and performance, and at the same time, the needs of new generations have emerged. The Covid crisis acted as an accelerator of time. Today, the stakes are clear: finding a balance between professional and personal life, working in satisfactory conditions with autonomy, freedom, and trust.
The Executive Committee: a true forum for collective decision-making
Bruno emphasized that Executive Committees must get back to doing their job: not only managing the short term, but above all preparing for the future. The Executive Committee is the leader’s inner circle, and decisions gain in quality when this circle fully plays its role.
This implies clarifying expectations: a truly collegial leadership. When one is a member of an Executive Committee, one is first and foremost a member of a leadership team before being the representative of one’s function. The duty of each member is to contribute to all topics, beyond their specific area of expertise.
Evaluating the effectiveness of your Executive Committee
A simple but too rare practice is to take time once a year to analyze the functioning of the Executive Committee. Did members listen to and respect each other? Were topics explored in depth? Were decisions well implemented and correctly communicated?
Building an effective steering committee takes time. It is a continuous improvement process that requires several years of maturation.
The Sales Director: a factor of innovation
For Bruno, the role of the sales director is evolving significantly: they must become a factor of innovation. Innovation increasingly comes from customers and usage. Sales teams, in direct contact with the field, are ideally placed to capture these signals and fuel the company’s innovation strategy.
Managing paradoxical injunctions
Being a leader means managing paradoxical injunctions: recruiting the best while controlling the payroll, developing the collective while valuing individual talents. The answer lies in collegiality, within the leadership team as well as in governance, by relying on internal and external reflection bodies.
It is essential to develop collective intelligence and encourage contradiction, even cognitive conflict. Daring to confront different viewpoints allows for better decisions, serving the overall interest of the company.
Detachment: creating distance
The leader must learn detachment. Even if certain strategic decisions fall to them, they don’t have to build them alone. Creating distance and gaining perspective comes from involving others in decision-making.
The magic filter: protecting yourself from criticism
Virginie shared a powerful tool: the magic filter. When a remark hurts, the question to ask is: what message is my interlocutor trying to convey to me? The goal is to retain useful information and eliminate judgment or emotional charge.
This tool allows transforming criticism into constructive exchange and accessing high-value information.
Learning to say no: the sandwich proof
To say no without hurting, Virginie suggests the sandwich proof:
- a first layer of empathetic rephrasing,
- a clear and concise answer,
- an opening to the future and dialogue.
This structure allows setting boundaries while preserving the relationship.
Emotional intelligence: living with your emotions
Unlike the intellectual quotient, the emotional quotient can be developed. And today, emotional intelligence is what makes the difference in leadership.
Expressing emotions means welcoming them, understanding their message, and then acting in a way that is adjusted to the context. This ability strengthens the leader’s sincerity and energy.
Cooperation: autonomy and solidarity
Cooperation relies on two complementary levers: autonomy and solidarity. The stronger the autonomy, the more solidarity must be cultivated. The leader plays a key role in recalling the meaning of the common project and the company’s purpose.
The fewer orders they give, the more time they have to share the vision, direction, and collective purpose. This is the very essence of their role.
In a nutshell
Key takeaways from this Masterclass with Virginie and Bruno Tesson:
- Develop collegiality within the Executive Committee
- Manage paradoxical injunctions through collective intelligence
- Use the magic filter to transform criticism
- Learn to say no with the sandwich proof
- Develop emotional intelligence
- Balance autonomy and solidarity in teams
As Virginie reminded us with this quote from Carl Gustav Jung: “What you deny enslaves you, what you accept transforms you”
Don’t miss the next Masterclass!