Podcast Summary: Excellent Executive Coaching

Episode: EEC 362: How to Take Your Leadership to the Next Level, with Stéphane Garelli
Host: Dr. Katrina Burrus, PhD, MCC
Guest: Stéphane Garelli
Release Date: December 31, 2024

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Katrina Burrus talks with Stéphane Garelli, renowned professor of competitiveness and founder of IMD’s World Competitiveness Center. Drawing on his rich experience as an academic, chair of major institutions, and corporate leader, Garelli shares profound insights on leadership, navigating boardroom roles, career direction, and how competitiveness shapes lives and organizations. This conversation is peppered with personal anecdotes, practical guidance for executives, and memorable advice for those striving to elevate their leadership effectiveness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Stéphane Garelli’s Multi-faceted Background

• [00:10] Garelli introduces himself, highlighting roles at the World Economic Forum, IMD, University of Lausanne, as well as his positions as chairman and member of several significant organizations.
  • “So a very diverse experience, extensive experience.” — Stéphane Garelli

On Leadership and Creating Followers

• [01:25] Defining good leadership: Garelli emphasizes that beyond energy and passion, true leaders create followers who share their vision and passion.
  • “A good leader creates followers. And this is something important.” — Stéphane Garelli [01:35]
• [01:59] He observes that many leaders are “completely alone,” lacking true buy-in from others—one of leadership’s biggest modern challenges.
  • "The real function of a leader is to take people with you and to make sure that they share your passion, that they share your vision... that's not as easy as it seems." — Stéphane Garelli [01:53]

Difference Between Chairman and CEO

• [02:29] Drawing a vivid analogy, Garelli likens the chairman’s role to a “spare wheel” — largely unnoticed until a crisis emerges.
  • “When you are a chairman, you are a little bit like the spare wheel in your car... you don't know where is your spare wheel until you have a problem.” — Stéphane Garelli [02:29]
• [03:02] He explains the CEO is action-oriented, responsible for management, while the chairman ensures proper oversight, ethics, and compliance—responsibilities that have become ever more crucial in today’s climate of transparency.

Influence and Communication: Lessons from Remarkable Leaders

• [03:27] Garelli shares how working with global leaders like French Prime Minister Raymond Barre and British Prime Minister Ted Heath had a profound impact on his own leadership.
• [03:51] Notably, Heath advised him:
  • “Don’t make a speech, speak to people... If they feel you communicate with them... you have this kind of special relationship, and everything will go fine. This probably was the best advice I ever got.” — Stéphane Garelli [03:51]

Career Challenges and the ‘Pyramid’ Analogy

• [04:30] On overcoming setbacks, Garelli underscores the importance of loyalty and ethics—but also of pursuing a personal agenda.
  • “...In life, you should be committed, you should be loyal, ethical, to the job you have. But never forget your personal agenda. It’s fair enough to have a personal agenda. It’s fair enough to know where you want to go in life, do it honestly.” — Stéphane Garelli [04:31]
• [05:00] He introduces the metaphor of the pyramid: sometimes, after reaching the top, the only way to progress is to “climb down and go up another.” This requires courage and foresight.
  • “Always think about the next step. A leader is somebody who has a sense of direction... If you don’t know where you are going, don’t tell it. If you are a leader, keep it for yourself. Pretend, decide until you find out.” — Stéphane Garelli [05:42]

On His Book: "Are You a Tiger, a Cat or a Dinosaur?"

• [05:48] The book contains 100 questions exploring the impact of competitiveness on daily life, intended to be engaging and accessible.
  • “I’ve written a lot of things which are academic and profoundly boring on competitiveness and I felt I should show people it has an impact on our life, it has an impact on the way we behave, on the way companies treat us.” — Stéphane Garelli [06:03]
• [06:22] The book covers leadership, product expectations, and learning from failure, making economics relevant and relatable.

Habits for Success: Lateral Thinking

• [06:49] Garelli reveals a key habit: never reading economics after 9 PM to avoid overthinking and to encourage intellectual curiosity in other fields.
  • “...I deeply believe that if you want to be good at what you are doing, you should have the curiosity to look at other things... it’s lateral thinking... sometimes I felt were worthwhile actually I got them not from economics but from elsewhere.” — Stéphane Garelli [07:10]
• [07:34] He concludes that exposure to diverse disciplines often sparks innovative ideas in one’s primary field—his “aha effect."

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “A good leader creates followers. And this is something important.” — Stéphane Garelli [01:35]
• “When you are a chairman, you are a little bit like the spare wheel in your car.” — Stéphane Garelli [02:29]
• “Don’t make a speech, speak to people... If they feel you communicate with them... you have this kind of special relationship.” — Stéphane Garelli (quoting Ted Heath) [03:51]
• “Always think about the next step. A leader is somebody who has a sense of direction.” — Stéphane Garelli [05:42]
• “If you want to be good at what you are doing, you should have the curiosity to look at other things... it’s lateral thinking.” — Stéphane Garelli [07:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:10 — Stéphane Garelli's brief introduction
• 01:25 — Garelli’s definition of good leadership
• 02:29 — Differentiating chairman and CEO roles
• 03:27 — Influences and lessons from global leaders
• 04:30 — Career challenges & the pyramid analogy
• 05:48 — The book "Are You a Tiger, a Cat or a Dinosaur?"
• 06:49 — Habits for success and importance of lateral thinking

Final Thoughts

Stéphane Garelli’s perspective blends rigorous experience, humor, and actionable wisdom—a refreshing take for executive coaches and leaders seeking to not only lead, but to bring others along and ensure ongoing personal growth. His focus on communication, ethics, vision, and the courage to pursue new challenges offers a roadmap for anyone aiming to take their own leadership—and those they coach—to the next level.