“When you are torpedoed, admiral and sailor run the same risk, your stars do not protect you”: the image speaks for itself and Admiral Loïc Finaz uses it with mischief. Leader, manager, commander, the latter was at the age of 25 when, barely out of the Naval Academy, he began directing ships, a career he pursued for decades at aboard anti-submarine frigates or even nuclear attack submarines. His voice carries, his stature is imposing, and we can easily imagine him motivating his crew on the bridge of a ship or in the bowels of a submersible. Writer, poet, the soldier also dealt with naval human resources policy and directed the prestigious War School. A specialist in both leadership and the nature of men in the face of adversity, who provides useful lessons for navigating – in business.
In a recent work co-written with the adventure writer Patrice Franceschi and the Italian essayist Andrea Marcolongo, Risk appetite (Grasset, 2023), he criticizes the abundance of norms in society – a debate in the spirit of the times. A reminder that he also addresses to managers: “The role of a leader, contrary to what we believe, is not to enforce the rules, but to break them,” he thunders, with the amused smile of one who knows he is surprising. Explanation: Rules are just tools intended to solve problems. If everything always went well with these tools, then what use would the manager have? The latter must understand when it is necessary to bend the rules and above all take responsibility for them. Another anecdote taken from the life of a sailor, the one where he takes students from the Naval Academy on board. Not very resourceful candidates, not on track to graduate. So barely older than them, he decides to entrust them with the helm, in total autonomy. “At that moment, I knew I was going to put my boat at risk,” he says. A danger that is nonetheless essential for them to feel responsible. While they were hesitant, waiting for approval from their superiors, their attitude changes completely. A requirement coupled with benevolence, autonomy coupled with solidarity: here are some of the essential associations according to Loïc Finaz for the ship to sail – and any form of human organization.
“Ensure that the mission has meaning”
At a time when the world is going through a troubled period – two wars, global warming and a certain “clash of civilizations” – accepting a dose of risk also allows us to better cope with problems, assures the admiral. In this, the glimmer of hope of our time comes from the world of work. “I believe that the company is a real place of transformation and evolution of the world. Without naivety, because this is not the case everywhere, but these are levers in which I believe. Civil society continues to hold the road because it still has enough actors, men and women of good will, who have a positive influence.”
It remains to guide them in the common direction. In his work published a few years ago, where he develops his precepts applied to management (Freedom of Command, Ed. Equateurs, 2020), the admiral sets out his key idea: crew spirit. The role of an organization is to provide a place for everyone. Each member is essential in their functions and, at the same time, like on a boat, versatility is possible. To lead everyone to their destination safely, Loïc Finaz details what he considers to be the cardinal points of the leader: “We are leaders to fulfill a mission. We must ensure that it has meaning – it is so important that if , after having honestly searched for this meaning, we cannot find it, we must refuse the mission! Then, the circumstances, of which we must not be prisoners, but which we must know how to look at with lucidity and honesty in order to take them into account. Being a leader means having men and women who have been entrusted to us to fulfill a mission. And most importantly: these men and women, we must love them.”
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