Dear leaders,
Let’s talk about something we often forget to give enough attention – well-being.
We wait all year for those few summer weeks to finally pause. To breathe. To sleep more, walk more, eat a little better, and reconnect with ourselves and the people who matter.
And every year, the same thought crosses my mind: “why don’t I live like this all the time?”
The truth is, well-being isn’t just a reward after hard work. It’s a fundamental part of being effective – especially as leaders.
So, this July, I invite you to reflect on that and take time for some amazing reading!
Happy summer!
This month’s nugget
Summer readings
Comme une intime évidence – Camille Gallard
Released in French
Between maternal doubts, social pressures, and tender bonds, Comme une intime évidence is a deeply moving journey into the early steps of a new family. A sensitive and profoundly human novel about love, vulnerability, and the sometimes heartbreaking instinct to want to live up to it all.
« Stories for Work » – Gabrielle Dolan
Released in French and English
What if summer is a great time to reconnect with your storytelling skills? Leaders who master the art of storytelling have a powerful advantage. The book covers techniques for identifying and structuring stories, tailoring them to different audiences, and using them to achieve business objectives, making storytelling a valuable skill for leaders and professionals. If you want to go further, spend a day with us! Come here
Ce que je sais de toi (What I know about you) – Eric Chacour
Released in French and English
« What I Know About You » by Éric Chacour is set in Cairo in the 1980s. Tarek, a young doctor from a Christian Levantine family, sees his life turned upside down after meeting Ali, a free-spirited and uninhibited young man. Their forbidden relationship ultimately drives him into exile in Montreal.
Un battement de coeur après l’autre – Françoise Bresson
Released in French
There’s always an uncertain moment when life shifts, stumbles, or unfolds.When Marie becomes a widow after a terrible accident, she sinks into deep grief. How do you rise above the clouds when you’re completely down? How do you accept the hands reaching out to you and allow yourself to reinvent who you are?
Between courage and setbacks, her journey will take her to Provence, to a refuge for broken souls. Maybe it’s there, heartbeat after heartbeat, that she will learn to taste happiness again…Recently released in a small pocket edition, it’s already in my handbag!
Roddy Doyle – any one (or several) of his books! Roddy is an Irish author, playwright and scenarist fueled by Irish humour and the reality of what makes the Irish people’s heart beat and Ireland the nation that it is. From funny to harsh realism, you just cannot put his books down. Enjoy!
Leadership nudges
Sharpen the saw
Another great summer read is “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey. If you haven’t come across it yet, there’s a really good video introduction here. It’s definitely worth diving deeper.
The last habit is called “Sharpen the Saw.” In other words: take care of yourself so you can keep going, and keep growing.
Covey identifies four dimensions we need to nourish:
🌳 Physical – sleep, move, eat with intention, go for long walks
🌳 Mental – read, learn, reflect, give your brain some fresh air
🌳 Spiritual – take time for silence, clarity, purpose
🌳 Social/Emotional – connect with people who lift you up and make you think
None of this is rocket science. But when we’re “over our heads” – back-to-back meetings, deadlines, decisions – it’s often the first thing we forget.
What if we stopped thinking of well-being as something we do after work, and started using it as part of how we work?
Wherever you are this summer – in the countryside, in the city, or simply at home – I hope you make space to sharpen your saw.
Not because you need a break, but because you are worth maintaining. And because sustainable leadership starts with how we lead ourselves.
A session for you
🎁 A lunch like no other
And what if co-development was part of your social and emotional well-being ritual?
What if, starting this new season, you made co-development a priority to nourish your soul?
SAVE THE DATES NOW:
Danaé Mâche and I are really excited to tell you that upcoming co-development sessions are now open for registration!
🌳 Monday, October 13, 2025
🌳 Friday, November 7, 2025
Sessions will be held in either French or English according to the participants’ preference.
What to expect?
-> A simple, supportive, powerful space
-> Real challenges you’re facing
-> Collective intelligence in action
A few days ago, we held 2 sessions for 10 French leaders.
CEOs, plant directors, HR directors, HR development managers, startup founders…
A lunch unlike any other. Remote… yet truly connected.
And they say it best themselves.
Want to join the next sessions?