With Marshall Goldsmith, the world-renowned executive coach, leadership thinker, and above all, inspiring authentic leader. What I admire about him is his authentic presence and teachings about authentic leadership: the ”being present and being real” side of leadership.
With John Gray, relationship counselor, lecturer and author of “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”. His work is about making relationships last based on the fundamental (and simple) difference between men and women. He has basic tools to help better communicate not only through words, but through understanding each other on a deeper level.
I regularly use his techniques in relationship coaching at work and in life because they work everywhere.
With Henry and Karen Kimsey house. Founders of The Co-ActiveTraining Institute and Co-Active coaching.
My two very humble and inspirational teachers. They are the ones who recognized the inner light in me long before I did. They believed in my potential and contributed in all possible ways for me to step into my own leadership path and grow it, in my own unique way to be the best version of myself. Their commitment to the field of human development and leadership is enormous but they are way too humble about it and give all the credit to their students. I believe so many people on this path owe their transformation to this couple. Here I just want to honor them and express my gratitude to all the time -and love- they have devoted to me and to this work at large.
With Sir Bob Geldof
Sir Bob Geldof is widely recognized for his activism specially for his anti-poverty effort concerning Africa. He conceived and co-wrote Band Aid’s tune “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” which became the 1984 Christmas number one in the UK. Band Aid later evolved into Live Aid (1985), the first international real-time concert, broadcast across the globe for two days. Band Aid and Live Aid were created to bring relief to the starving in Ethiopia. Sir Geldof was knighted by the British Conservative government in 1986 for his achievement.
Back in 1985, being a teenager, “Live Aid” changed my entire world view toward human interconnected and how we are all related. I witnessed how coming together can make a difference and how every VOICE matter. This became the seed of my coaching work with leaders and professionals on “finding your voice and having your voice heard”.
Born in France in 1946 as the son of French philosopher Jean-François Revel and artist Yahne Le Toumelin, Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, author, translator, and photographer. He first visited India in 1967 where he met great spiritual masters from Tibet. After completing his Ph.D. degree in cell genetics in 1972, he moved to the Himalayan region where he has been living for the past 45 years.
The dialogue with his father, The Monk and the Philosopher, was a best seller in Europe and was translated into 21 languages, and The Quantum and the Lotus reflects his long-standing interest in science and Buddhism. His 2003 book Plaidoyer pour le bonheur (published in English in 2006 as Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill) explores the meaning and fulfillment of happiness and was a major best-seller in France.
With Dr. Robert Hogan
Dr. Robert Hogan (born 1937) Chairman and President of Hogan Assessments is an American psychologist known for his innovations in personality testing , and is an international authority on personality assessment, leadership, and organizational effectiveness.
He is widely known for his groundbreaking research on personality and how it translates to organizational and leadership effectiveness, he was also ranked among the top five greatest personality psychologists. This group consisted of famous psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud, Hans Eysenck, Gordon Allport and Carl Jung.
As a certified practitioner, I have been using Hogan assessment in my organizational work with top leaders across industries. The wealth and depth of information we can draw from this assessment report is beyond imagination and contributes to the development of these leaders.
Having attended few of his sessions in person, Dr. Hogan’s sense of humor and his larger than life presence is an experience to have.
With Lynne Twist, a global activist committed to alleviating poverty and hunger, and supporting social justice and environmental sustainability.
Her book “soul of money” made a fundamental shift in the way I think about money. It introduced me to the concept of abundance, which I use with many clients from all walks of life who feel they don’t have “enough”.
Our society has trained us that way and the work of Lynne Twist brings consciousness to the fact that we have all we need.
“When you let go of trying to get more of what you don’t really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you have.”
Muhammad Yunus is a social entrepreneur, banker, economist, and civil society leader. In 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. These loans are given to entrepreneurs who are too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans.
I have been specifically inspired by the way that he not only provides money to people but also encourages them to learn new skills and create new jobs. After a while, they start making a living without needing any monetary help.
I use this concept in my work with business owners and team leaders. “If you want to help people, encourage them to learn something and make them stronger.” This will create a sustainable way of living for many and start a ripple effect.