Lead by Essentials

We, business leaders and entrepreneurs, face two opposing and contradictory requirements:

• The individuals who are members of “our” organisations, the geopolitical, environmental and ethical dimensions are (or should be) considered on the long-term.
• By contrast, the outside world, technological developments, crises, customers’ expectations, disruptions, innovations, etc. are characterised by increasingly short-term time frames, which are furthermore complex and unpredictable.

This balancing act faces each one of us, and is even more demanding for business leaders: how do you transform an organisation (long-term) in a world where change is difficult and forecasting impossible?

Lead by Essentials® is a method derived from 30 years of experience in managing both French and international teams and companies. This is the method I propose to deal with this balancing act. Based on 6 key stages, it enables a business leader to understand his own power to transform his company.

Do you know where your priorities lie? Do you differentiate between objectives and priority for transformation? This work, from CEO to CEO, provides the key tools for bringing about profound change of your organisation, step by step... if you yourself take the first step.

The executive’s time must then be analysed and worked through. Why do everyday tasks take time away from working on essentials?

Your time is precious, as is that of your employees. This idea of working around time, which is very different from classic time management, enables a leader to focus on the essentials.

The next stage is dedicated to creating “victories”. The question of an action and its benefit in terms of victories is major. An investor would talk about “return on investment”, a business leader “economic room for manoeuvre” or “trust in the boss’ decisions, credibility”, an employee would say “pleasure, success, increased competency”.

Behind these different approaches, the leader’s ability to put his teams in a situation of victory is questioned. As a consequence, it is his ability to choose his battles and resources that is at stake.

The fourth question is dedicated to competitive advantages.

How to be unique in the eyes of the client? How to reinforce this singularity? How to contribute more and be better than all your competitors on your chosen criteria and in a defined market?

Are you really working on your competitive advantages? Are they part of your strategy and do you devote time to them?

The fifth stage enables you to create an organisation suited to Reinvention.

This organisation rests on both the teams and your management style: transversality, diversity, internal communication and “don’t know attitude” are the key success factors.

Finally, last but not least, we finish with CARE.

How can you be certain of looking after yourself, your teams and your collective values, all within a policy of social and environmental responsibility? The necessary and demanding transformation of our organisations is only possible if the essence of the organisation, its core DNA, is based on true respect, real kindness to the individuals who make up the company, and the values that constitute its collective unconscious.

Lead by Essentials® is also a book and a training course in 6 steps proposed in 2021 and 2022.