Source of Stellar Speakers
René Carayol is one of the world’s leading business gurus specializing in leadership, culture and transformation.
René speaks, coaches and mentors with the authority and confidence of the leader who has seen and experienced it all before. René draws much from his own unique experiences as former Managing Director at IPC Magazines, serving on a variety of boards such as Pepsi and IPC Media, and even leading the largest management buyout in European history.
René has acquired a reputation for providing first-hand advice and support for a series of successful CEOs in the Fortune 500, FTSE 100 and all around the world. Many may claim to have worked at the ‘sharp end’ with CEOs, but in actual fact very few have. He has worked closely with Jim Yong Kim (President, The World Bank), Antony Jenkins (CEO, Barclays Bank), Mario Greco (CEO, Generali) and Maria Ramos (CEO, Absa Bank). Hardly any can match his sustained track record of success.
From sitting in the boardrooms to coaching world leaders, René’s extensive experience in business has provided him with case studies and stories from the frontline. There are exciting adventures, emotional anecdotes, and enough C-suite drama to excite any audience. René delivers learning wrapped up as unforgettable stories told by a master storyteller. You will want to hear them again and again.
René specialises in delivering performances that show precisely how contemporary leaders can electrify a crowd through a passionate and authentic connection. He demonstrates just how captivating an emotionally intelligent approach can be. He is never about theory – it is all about actions and behaviours that we can adopt that will make us more powerful when we come together. Everyone remembers how his sessions made them feel. René is an accomplished visiting professor at Cass Business School. His critically acclaimed latest book, ‘Spike – What are you great at?’, enables all of us to unleash our inherent strengths and realise our true potential. As René says, “If you accept your limitations, you go beyond them”.
In this groundbreaking book, Rene Carayol, leading business guru and executive coach, shares the magic and simplicity of his SPIKE (Strengths Positively Identified Kick-start Excellence) philosophy. In the world of SPIKE, there are no losers – everyone has something they are great at. The product of 30 years of supporting the growth and development of thousands of individuals and organizations globally, the book brings together a proven formula for personal and business development. The vital and essential ingredient of SPIKE is that everyone has at least one inherent strength. Finding and mobilizing those hidden strengths for the benefit of the individual and the team is the ultimate aim of this inspiring book.
Collaboration must become one of the key threads of the culture. Therefore, new recruits need to be team players who embrace collaboration by both attitude and behaviour. There is still a tendency to recruit or appoint the ‘super star’ who always delivers, despite being a self-serving ‘lone wolf’. This must change for true collaboration to work.
By building teams with all members having the opportunity to capitalise upon their differing strengths, this encourages collaboration as nothing is best done alone anymore. The weaving in and out of each other’s talents can be very powerful and energising for all involved.
The Chief Executive and the top leadership team in the business must exemplify the traits of a strong interdependent team. They must be seen to be truly committed to each other’s success. They are the most influential positive role models.
Globalization has brought many benefits for the stronger and more forward thinking businesses but it has also brought with it tremendous over-capacity in all sectors. This has made differentiation a necessity.
However, when asked, few people can answer the question “What Are You Great At?”
Increasingly consumers are voting with their values; it has become THE key differentiator. But to ensure a product or person is both genuine and authentic, it is critical to know your brand and your values inside out.
Be it a corporate brand or a personal one, the questions remain the same. Who are you? What are your values? What are your aspirations? What are your objectives? What do you stand for?
Brands are the promise of an experience; if that promise is not authentic and is not kept, the customer’s response can be immediate and severe.
Only once these fundamental questions are resolved can anyone or anything be a sustainable success. In the hugely challenging year ahead it has become strikingly evident that addressing these critical issues is
There are a huge and growing number of extremely talented young people in our world, but the traditional deployment of the hierarchy of business does not always see or allow the most talented people to be at the top of the organisation.
Given the electrifying pace of business today, it’s no longer feasible for the CEO or even the ‘C- suite’ to be on top of everything that is going on in the business. Consequently, they are not always the best initiators of new activity or solvers of today’s problems.
Therefore, progressive leaders will always look to harness the talented people that they can learn from all over the business. They also look to hire employees that can bring something new to the table, and who vitally, believe in the company’s values.
And, to ensure that these gifted people are kept happy, they must be recognized and treated well no matter where these special people lie in the hierarchy.
Nearly every organisation on the planet has some form of digital strategy at the moment, and this is absolutely the right way to go. However, it must be accepted that the world at large has Gone Digital already. In fact, it has probably gone a little further than that, and has now gone ‘mobile’ as well.
Incremental and Bolt-On strategies are failing badly. The existing power structures in most organisations are inadvertently preventing the digitization of the organisation. Who would not want a reduced cost base, increased customer centricity, enhanced compliance, more speed and agility, reduced manual intervention, better risk management and so much more? Well, the obvious answer is everybody would want this, and this is what precisely digitizing the business will deliver.
At the top of the organization, the pressure is high and it drives peak performance. As soon as you are able to tangibly ‘contribute,’ it becomes easier to be treated as an equal. On occasion, things can go awry, and this always requires attention. Strangely, in the more robust atmosphere of a board meeting, it is highly appropriate for these issues to be tackled immediately and directly. It can be extremely uncomfortable, but it is necessary, as the learning and experience at the top of the organization soon starts to trickle downwards. As a board director or senior executive, every individual carries both the burden of responsibility and of leadership. All transformation best starts at the top.
Companies that just continue to push products will wither away; those who put the customer clearly at the heart of all they do will thrive.
It’s the culture of the business that provides the key to unlocking sustained and positive momentum. Progressive cultures are fuelled by engaged and inspiring leaders. These leaders tend to be visible, connected and trusted. Their behaviour, values and role modelling are essential fuel for progressive cultures.
The culture—the psychology, actions and beliefs of a group of people—is much more powerful than strategy.
There are two definitions of the kind of culture that creates momentum for any business. The first one is that culture is “what happens when the CEO leaves the room”. The second definition is “the way we get things done around here”. It’s all about the attitude of those working for your company.
The most important thing about culture is that it’s the only sustainable point of difference for any organisation. Anyone can copy your strategy, but nobody can copy your culture. So, why would you leave it untended?
The best businesses are the ones whose culture has grown bigger and stronger than any individual in the team. A strong culture gains power through inspiring your people to conform to it.
Culture is the key weapon of all progressive, high-performing businesses. When employing new talent, you have to be discerning in what you’re looking for. Take attitude over skills every time. Hire for attitude, train for skills. It’s far more beneficial to hire someone with the right, positive mindset who will fit in with the culture of your company, than someone with strong skills and great experience, but an inappropriate attitude.
It still appears to be really difficult to “walk in the shoes” of the marginalized when you have never shared their experience. There was a time when the need for diversity had to be explained, educated and proved. Thankfully, that is no longer the case, as today, most people definitely get it. Unfortunately, many are still working on the business case for diversity—that proves that their organization still has a way to go. It is just the right thing to do, no queries or challenges stand up anymore!
As the old saying goes, ‘diversity is being invited to the dance, inclusion is being asked to dance.’ It’s no longer good enough to just be present, and in many respects, even inclusion is no longer enough – today, it’s more about the feeling of belonging. As soon as you feel you belong, it changes the feeling of being different from a negative to a positive.
A focus on business transformation.
Just about every organisation today is endeavouring to transform itself; be it because of a depressed share price, poor profit performance or dwindling consumer confidence.
A ‘state of the nation’ address is needed to highlight what has caused this quasi-recession and what can be done for YOUR organisation.
With incremental improvement and efficiency at the top of everyone’s agenda, every industry is transforming itself through their business leadership.
The traditional model of outsourcing does what it “says on the can” – cost reduction and efficient delivery.
Smart customers are demanding innovation from their suppliers. Smart firms are adopting a strategic view and want access to better talent, better technology and improving analytical capabilities.
It is no longer a question of in or out, but far more about the appetite and ambition for growth.
The future will favour the brave and innovative, and partnering will no longer be just about cutting costs, it will be much more about insourcing transformation, innovation and perhaps providing the “game changer” through access to industry leading expertise that enables business growth.
“My experience of working with some of the world’s best leaders of this generation; from Prime Minister David Cameron, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and many others, informs me that none of them are flawless or ‘all-rounders.’
But they all tend to know their 2/3 SPIKES, and have taken the time and focus to fine tune them to near Olympian standards”.
René will share the magic and simplicity of the compelling SPIKE philosophy. In his world of SPIKE, there are no losers anymore – everyone has something they are great at.
The new world order is struggling to deal with constant uncertainty, René provides a compelling approach to the future that is built on ‘managing a little less and leading a little more.’
You will continue to see René on the BBC and Sky News as an expert commentator and you can see his portfolio of TV series for the BBC on his YouTube channel.
René has built his reputation on getting to know the culture of businesses better than they do themselves, and providing answers and solutions no matter how big or small the problems.
His messages are practical, real life experiences delivered with electrifying effect. He both shakes up and inspires his audiences by showing them not only what lies within their grasp, but how true collaboration makes everyone stronger.
“INSTRUMENTAL IN LEADING A NEW VISION & TRANSFORMING MINDSETS”.
The biggest challenge businesses are facing today is the electrifying pace of change and the uncertainty that brings to everything that leaders are trying to achieve.
René is currently working with some of the world’s leading blue-chip multinational businesses such as The World Bank, African Development Bank, HSBC, TomTom, Vodacom and ConvaTec, advising them on a practical and pragmatic way forward. He has a unique and specialized view of how some of the worlds’ leading businesses are navigating this unforgiving world.
When this is coupled with his quite amazing ability to forecast and predict what will work and what doesn’t in terms of cultural change, makes him the most compelling futurist in the world today.
He uses his captivating storytelling capability to bring these contemporary case studies alive with electrifying effect.
René is unique, in that he always shares his incredibly thought provoking and unforgettable presentation with his audience, enabling then to download it and share with their teams and consequently help change the whole organization.
Given René’s experience as a BBC presenter, he is also available to compere sessions, interview senior executives and run panels in the most professional, business led and unmissable manner.