What does it take to be a leadership guru?
Hidden away in an old ‘speaking showreel’ on YouTube: a showcase of the exceptional talents of René Carayol
Watch the video, then answer this: what innovation leadership role would be beyond his capabilities?
Here’s a bit of background from his website:
René’s focus is on inspirational leadership and culture, bound together with a compelling philosophy founded on his own board level experience.
Extraordinary times demand extraordinary leadership and make no mistake about it; we find ourselves in unprecedented and turbulent waters.
Looking for clues from the past on how to navigate the storm is proving useless and “off the shelf” solutions simply no longer prepare organisations for what lies ahead, regardless of their sector or industry.
It has become a business imperative to consider if you have the necessary attitudes and leadership in place to ensure your organisation continues to thrive.
In the traditional world a good product or service coupled with a good management team was sufficient to ensure success.
But in today’s aggressive and unforgiving market place they are no longer enough on their own.
Progressive, contemporary businesses are learning the hard way that it is leadership and culture that separate the winners from the losers.
The race is no longer about being the best; everybody is trying to do that.
The winners are those that strive to be unique, special and different.
They know the difference between management and leadership.
René Carayol is one of the world’s leading business gurus specialising in leadership and culture, drawing from his own unique experiences on the boards of the biggest British and American organisations; from Marks & Spencer and Pepsi to IPC Media and the Inland Revenue.
He is the best selling author of the leadership and culture bible, “Corporate Voodoo” and has had the privilege of working closely with some of the world’s best leaders; from former US President Bill Clinton to the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan and from former US Secretary of State Colin Powell to Sir Richard Branson.
René is a regular broadcaster for the BBC and has presented the influential “Pay Off Your Mortgage In 2 Years” series, BBC2′s flagship business offering “The Money Programme” and the critically acclaimed “Mind Of A Millionaire” and “Man From The Met” documentaries.
He is a broadsheet columnist, a frequent voice on Radio 5 Live and a regular expert commentator on Sky News and BBC Breakfast.
He has provided leadership support to the likes of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, the World Bank and BP, and is now an accomplished Visiting Professor at Cass business school.
In 2004 he was awarded an MBE for outstanding service to the business community.
It is this unrivalled business acumen that has seen René facilitate and host conferences all over the world and provide board level mentoring and master classes to some of the world’s largest corporations; establishing a plethora of globally renowned names in his client portfolio in the process.
René asks awkward and uncomfortable questions.
How do you change old-fashioned, risk-adverse processes that are ill suited to emerging global markets? How do you secure and nurture the talents of a new generation of leaders? How do you overcome cynicism and complacency, and replace them with resolve?
Everybody thinks their leadership team is strong enough in times of success.
But is it fit for purpose when the going gets tough? If ever there was a time for leadership to set the vision and instill confidence, it is now.
René has built his reputation on knowing businesses better than they do themselves; providing answers and solutions no matter how big or small the problems that simmer below the surface.
His messages are practical, real life experiences presented with electrifying effect.
He both shakes up and inspires his audiences, showing them not only what lies within their grasp but when to grasp the nettle; keeping them one step ahead of the chasing pack.
While Rene saying “Look at yourself in the mirror and find out what are the things that you do naturally well… tell me.. and I’m going to find out the organization that needs those skills… forget about job, forget about salary…think which fits…”, makes me conclude that he believes in “Leaders are born, not made..”.
There is a lot of research going on the subject, and conclusions are opposite.. for example, Harvard Business Review blog has to say much more about it:
http://blogs.hbr.org/goldsmith/2008/01/great_leaders_are_made_not_bor.html
Attitude can also be learnt like other skills.
Can’t completely agree with you on that Krish. Think he rather says to look for work that suit your skills set, a job that would utilize your skills in the best possible way.
As for the leaders being taught to do that – I think it can be done in many cases, but with a solid base. Some people just don’t have what it takes to be one – charisma, attitude and so on, no matter how hard we train that person.
There are cetain traits that make you leader by birth, but I say it is not always true. One great example is M. K. Gandhi (much know with name Mahatma Gandhi), the great leader of Independence in Subcontinent. He was extremely shy person even in mid age untill he was thrown out of a train in South Africa by local police (probably South Africa was also in Britiths control in those days). And that single incident turned him completely opposite to what his natural traits were. His name is included in a famous book named “100 most influencial people in the world”, I don’t recall author’s name.
Gandhi is a bit extreme example – really rare. Besides, maybe he had this traits before, but were not needed earlier? not that familiar with Gandhi’s biography.
Have seen Rene Carayol on few occasion on tv – mainly in BBC programs, and must say always enjoyed his lines. Lots of great stuff to remember and follow in everyday life. Just like in this video with showreel of his performances.
Did he manage any startups during his rich business career, or rather only big companies like Pepsi co. or IR?
While searching his profile from different resources, I don’t see any reference to his managing any startup:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Carayol
Even his official profile http://www.carayol.com/profile/profile.pdf doesn’t speak of any startup related to him.
That’s what I thought as well, didn’t remember about him managing small companies or startups. Hence answering the question from the beginning of this article is not that easy as it would look at first glance.
Of course, with the experience under his belt, and knowledge he has, he would probably do great – but that’s not 100% sure. Managing well established company is a bit different to walking on a mine field that managing startup can become.
I had just read a few chapters of Jeffery Pfeffer’s recent book “Power: Why some people have it….”.
He has made astonishing revelations, e.g. at one place he writes that when leadership gurus or motivational speakers do lectures or write motivational books, they just highlight the aspects of their struggle when they were just, performed excellently, did hardwork, etc. but never reveal the negative aspects; i.e. those things that they did to succeed but they would deminish their credibility or moral standing.
This book is not just his subjective analysis, but is full of reference and is based on his interviews with many great leaders to today’s corporate world.
Nobody is cristal I imagine. And not many/none like to speak about their failures or things that wouldn’t show them in positive light.
“if you have not made any mistakes, then you have not really been stretching yourself” – this comes from Carayol’s The Mind of a Millionaire.
Of course, mistakes make you learn and grow by not repeating them. But after reading Pfeffer, I’ve nurtured many doubts in my mind about motivational speakers.
Sometimes I wonder what motivational speakers and writes are aimed at.. To sell their ideas, to produce workforce for large corporations, or to produce giants from small startup entrepreneurs?
And I often feel that besides just selling their ideas, they do train the workforce for best performance without complaining for compensation. I am not sure if they are also producing leaders to lead startups!
Can you cite any example of a leader who became giant after running an startup and has mentioned about some motivational speaker in his success story that he wrote afterwards?
@Greg:”That’s what I thought as well, didn’t remember about him managing small companies or startups. Hence answering the question from the beginning of this article is not that easy as it would look at first glance.
Of course, with the experience under his belt, and knowledge he has, he would probably do great – but that’s not 100% sure. Managing well established company is a bit different to walking on a mine field that managing startup can become.”
Absolutely right Greg! it is not just “a bit” different, it is totally different to manage an established company than to manage and grow an startup