The tenth EVE International seminar is now in full swing. A warm welcome was given at the Grange au Lac by Anne Thevenet-Abitbol, Editorial and Artistic Director, Christine Descamps, the EVE Program’s Executive Producer, and Valérie Angliviel de la Beaumelle (who introduced the brand new app, the community and its networks). Attendees were then given an outline of this balanced leadership program, which is designed to “help women gain confidence, and help organizations become conscious”.
To achieve that goal, the seminar is tailored to address the mind, the body and the heart, oscillating between inspiration and respiration. Because this program is driven by the idea that if we want to transform our businesses, we need stronger and more balanced people who can make that transformation happen. In the words of Anne Thevenet-Abitbol: “If you want to change something, you need to start by changing yourself”. So let’s get started!
Towards centered leadership, with Joanna Barsh
Joanna Barsh, Director Emeritus at McKinsey & Company, and author of How Remarkable Women Lead, got the plenary session program going with a very powerful introduction to “centered leadership”.
Drawing on your strengths, working on your fears and breaking down your barriers, inspiring and nurturing confidence, generously engaging others and constantly re-energizing yourself: those are the pillars of a sustainable approach to relationships with others generally, and managerial relationships in particular. And to achieve that, Joanna invited her listeners to understand how making themselves “small” or humble can be the first step to accomplishing big things.
Changing your perspective on stereotypes, with Patrick Scharnitzky
After a relaxing Qi Gong session with Juliann Liu, Patrick Scharnitzky took the stage to address the issue of gender stereotypes. This thorny subject is too often approached from the standpoint of guilt, when it is actually more effective to deal with it as a type of bias. Because before we understand how stereotypes influence our decision, even leading us to go against our value system, we’re depriving our businesses, our society, future generations, and ourselves of enormous freedom. He encouraged attendees to learn to identify what their “fast system”, one that seeks out safety and comfort, is pushing us to do, in order to save energy for our “slow system”, which is responsible for making our important decisions.
Defining what success means for you, with Valérie Le Boulanger
Two workshop sessions later, participants met at the Grange au Lac to hear from Valérie Le Boulanger, Executive Director of Human Resources at the Orange Group. This energetic and honest woman defined her role as: “listening to other people”. Her inspiring story, which was both honest and entertaining, clearly positions her as a role model for a new style of leadership. A genuine style, personal, and deeply human.
Glory to the humble heroes and heroines, with Frédérique Bedos
The first day at EVE continued with a moving presentation by Frédérique Bedos. A few years ago, this internationally renowned journalist launched the Imagine Project, a philanthropic undertaking designed to raise awareness about the humble heroes and heroines who are changing the world, without making headlines. The project was inspired by the life of her own parents, who were activists for the NGO Terre des Hommes, and who adopted twenty or so children who had been deemed “unadoptable”. Her attitude to life and hope is conveyed in all the films she produces, including Des femmes et des hommes (Women and men), which looks at the experiences of women around the world and those who are striving to bring about change.
At the end of the inspiring first day, the 430 participants at this tenth edition of the EVE Program came together for dinner at the Ermitage and Royal hotels, then returned for a special evening plenary session with Bertrand Piccard, one of the founders of Solar Impulse. And he issued an invitation for them to think bigger and look further.
