Have you ever heard it said that everyone has a talent, everyone is talented? Let’s think about what that actually means these days. Do we need talent in our businesses and organizations? And if we do, what are the implications in terms of the development and recruitment of such talents?  In my view, everyone is unique,…

If I read all the messages I receive each day concerning the coronavirus, if I listen to all the gossip and insinuations some sources are spewing out, I see the danger of panic spreading and I feel fear rise up in me. Fear for my family, my children, my wife, my 80-year-old mother, my parents-in-law (aged…

Changes, of greater or lesser importance, are a fact of life, whether personal, professional or affecting society as a whole.   In 1789, Antoine Lavoisier, the French chemist, philosopher and economist, re-applied the inspired maxim of the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras to the field of physics and chemistry:  “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.…

What or who inspires you? Have you ever thought about it?   The growing complexity we have been facing in recent years and the global acceleration we are experiencing are leading to instability, isolation and fear. In order to cope, some people turn in on themselves, only increasing their isolation; others look for reassurance within a…

A few days ago, while watching the video of a conference addressed by neurobiologist Gerald Hüther, I found the answer to a question I had been considering for some time. He was referring to results that researchers and experts in artificial intelligence had presented to a congress in Houston (Texas, USA). They noted that they…

Have you ever discussed life with American business people? You will find they speak with pride of mistakes they have made, setbacks that have experienced and overcome. In contrast with our European thinking,  failure is perceived as positive, constructive, stimulating and necessary. Nothing is finer than being able to pick yourself up after a setback,…

We constantly experience conflicts and strained relationships, at work and at home, in our daily dealings with family members and neighbours, in the street and on holiday.Going for a walk, making the effort to see things from a different viewpoint and engaging in self-reflection are three ways of transforming a conflict into an opportunity.  People…

We are experiencing what has been termed the fourth, if not the fifth, industrial revolution. In 2016, in his book “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”, Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), brought us face-to-face with our leadership responsibilities, as great technological, environmental and societal changes are under way. Again in 2016, Gilles Vernet made the…

We live in a constantly changing world and are faced on a daily basis with what is referred to in the English speaking world as the VUCA syndrome (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity). As static forms of organization and linear thinking are stretched to their limits in a VUCA environment, systematic thinking,  learning together, flexibility, agility…

In facing the challenges ahead, the human element will remain important, indeed may even become more important. How do you strengthen team spirit and, thus, the inner strength of a business?To do this, you need to pay special attention to the members of the team and to their leaders. It is a matter of responsibility and autonomy. …