Cardinal de Fleury, tutor to Louis XV, had a meteoric rise which allowed him to be among the king’s closest advisers. But court wars got the better of the fine politician who fled Versailles overnight on August 17, 1722. The 69-year-old prelate spoke of the need for “a few days of rest” for his health. The next day, he was recalled by the little king (12 years old) who feared this permanent retirement. Through this ingenious strategy of a false start which did not even last 48 hours, Fleury asserted his authority and his indispensable presence in an even more masterful way, to the great displeasure of all his enemies (The rise of Cardinal de Fleury (1653-1726), Fabrice Malcor, Rennes University Press, 2023). A dangerous but profitable gamble: in 1726, Fleury was the king’s chief minister. General de Gaulle will have a crossing of the desert of twelve years (1946-1958) by adopting the same posture. Would the Republic have understood the lesson? A departure programmed to be desired will certainly not be the political choice of the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne. Supported lip service by her boss Emmanuel Macron since the pension reform, the former boss of the RATP knows it: her rental at Matignon is coveted by a few government leaders. Everyone speculates on his departure, postponed from week to week and on the name of his successor. “When you are challenged for a position by your N + 1, it is not easy”, recognizes Sébastien Joarlette, expert in managerial excellence at Oresys.
Internal lobbying
Let us return to the example of Cardinal de Fleury. This networker has the intelligence to have allies in key positions. For Sébastien Joarlette, “when you are in a prominent position, you absolutely have to let it be known”. Humility is out of place. You have to lobby internally, show the benefits of your action by involving your team. Never forget yourself, communicate and enhance the work of your collective by showing how masterfully you occupy the place of conductor. Explain it to everyone in the mode: “I am the one who allows this success”. The essential that allows you to play on an equal footing with your boss. The singer Irène Cara did not hesitate in Fame: Baby, look at me and tell me what you see- You ain’t seen the best of me yet-Give me time, I’ll make you forget the rest.
Free yourself from impostor syndrome
However, most of the time, it is not his manager who seeks to fire a manager in sight, but an ambitious one from his team. “When you are challenged for a position, the first reaction is often negative. It’s a mistake. You have to react positively”, analyzes Sébastien Joarlette. “Start by saying to yourself: if I am in this position today, it is because I am legitimate”. First piece of advice: free yourself from the syndrome of the more or less developed impostor and assume this recognition which thrills all opportunists. The second piece of advice is to find out about the applicant(s). “Is this person ambitious? Does he want more responsibility? Is his ambition legitimate? After this phase of analysis, it is good to discuss with the schemer to find out how to make him grow, train him to go to another position or quite simply prepare his own succession if you have other ambitions yourself. It takes a certain courage to make your colleague verbalize your objectives and succeed in integrating them into your own career plan, without affect. It can even lead to a constructive alliance because the two ambitions serve individual career plans. Some will find the approach cynical (double benefit for the aspirant as for the manager): it also allows you to know who wants what. Finally, this ambitious quest is part of certain corporate cultures. It can only be observed in structures where there is a real hierarchy. Unleashing his pack of cronies on the applicant is obviously a jubilant and effective solution in the short term… but which does not prevent the rise of other careerists with long teeth.