Charisma, sense of the collective, empathy... How to become a good leader?

Alexandre Dalifard 6:35 p.m., February 06, 2023

Human beings have always had kings, presidents, then bosses or managers.

This leadership role is not there to look good.

But then, what is a leader for?

Guests of the program 

General Vincent Desportes, author of 

, and Charlie Clarck, president of Whistcomn, expert in oral strategy and HR strategy for business leaders and managers, return to the function of " leader".

"Man is a herd animal"

"Basically, this responds to a deep human need. The first human need is that of survival. And the human being wants to continue in his being. He is a fragile being who has understood, since the dawn of time, that together a collective is still stronger than if it is alone. However, a collective needs a leader because that is what creates the collective, it is the unique ambition and the existence of someone who will lead to this ambition. We must remember what Sigmund Freud said: Man is a herd animal", underlines General Vincent Desportes.

To illustrate his remarks, the former director of the Ecole de Guerre compares the human being to a herd of deer which includes a dominant deer.

"Why? Because it is this deer who will guide, who has the most experience and who will ensure that the whole survives. So, basically, this need for a collective is created by a need for a leader. The leader, he is the one who knows how to create the collective. Today, we have a formidable example with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who, in this incredible situation, has managed to crystallize an entire people around an idea. He responds perfectly to the definition that I give of the leader: it is to want and to make want", he specifies.

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"He who sets the course"

While the role of "leader" has evolved over time, a question arises today.

In a company, what are the expectations around a leader?

"The leader in the company is the one who has gone from the state of 'I do' to 'I get things done' and better than that, he makes you want to do. He is the one who sets the course and who makes you want to reach it. It's like a train. No one gets on a train without knowing where it's going and without having the desire to reach that destination. That's what a good manager is in a company", defines Charlie Clark.

“Today, we ask the leader to have human skills, a new buzzword in the company. Within companies, we will talk about 'human skills'.

Managers are asked to know how to make others grow.

For this, we expect empathy and good communication from them.

That is to say that the leader must carry the troops, he must inspire and this necessarily involves speaking.

It will never be by email, you have to talk and wet your shirt," he concludes.

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"The experience and understanding of a human being"

Often, society has the image of a ringleader, of a leader, as someone older, wiser, even in the military corps.

Generally, it is the one who gives the orders.

But does age matter for being a good leader?

"So no, it's not the age that counts," replies General Vincent Desportes.

"What matters is the experience and the understanding of what a human being is, which comes a little more with age obviously. But, it is possible to be a great leader very young", he adds.

For him, age brings the understanding that men are capable of the best if the conditions are created and the desire is present.

"The military know very well that there are no heroes. A hero is an ordinary being who will become one because we will create the conditions. Therefore, a leader is the one who will create the conditions for Spinoza tells us: Man is desire. What experience, and therefore often age, teaches us is that emotion is extremely important", insists the general.

Then, in his book, Vincent Desportes specifies that the good manager is not the one who gives orders.

It is not something mechanical to lead, on the contrary, the good leader must be very human.

The best leader is the one who shows empathy, it is essential.