An entrepreneur is like the captain of a ship. They know where they want to go—their goal—and how they want to get there—their vision of the path. But what makes a (good) leader in communication?
A true leader does not need to impose: they inspire. They unite people through the clarity of their direction, the consistency of their decisions, and the communicative energy they exude. People follow them not because they speak loudly, but because they speak wisely. They inspire, enlighten, reassure… and make people want to come aboard.
This is what is disappointing in France today. This country, once rich in great visionary leaders—de Gaulle, Mendès France, Simone Veil, Pompidou, and Delors—now seems to lack authentic voices. We no longer have captains, only managers. Technocrats from a so-called elite, trained to administer (and the results are far from convincing!), but not to create; leaders who know how to add up numbers (especially in taxation!), but not how to add up forces. France has become a company with a lack of vision.
Moreover, leaders’ confidence in the prospects for the French economy has been particularly eroded: 12%, down 5 points, according to the latest CCI-Opinionway barometer. Similarly, the optimism indicator has fallen to 68 points, 9 points lower than in June. Source: “The Great Entrepreneur Consultation ” – August 2025.
A leader worthy of the name thinks about the present *and* the future. They know that communicating means embodying a direction, rallying internal energies, informing, convincing, and leading. As the invisible rudder of the ship, communication allows the ship to stay on course when the storm rises, reassures the crew, and maintains passenger confidence.
Do you have to be omnipresent to be a (good) leader? Probably not.
Taking *your* place does not mean taking *all* the space.
Great leaders know how to step aside to let their colleagues shine, before returning when the course needs to be reaffirmed. Knowing how to disappear is also a form of power: the power of humility, perspective, and discernment.
Leader communication is a subtle balancing act. Too much absence, and the ship drifts. Too much presence, and the crew suffocates. In a world saturated with noise, where the microphone is constantly open and tweeting/posting has become a reflex, our society today confuses visibility with embodiment. One speaks of oneself; the other speaks more broadly of the world.
However, France does not need new communicators. The country needs new captains, bearers of a horizon, a narrative, a faith: women and men capable of embracing a vision, of saying “this is the way forward,” of embodying courage AND consistency, through their words and actions.
According to the CEVIPOF/OpinionWay Political Confidence Barometer, 73% of French people express the desire for a “true leader in France to restore order.” (wave 16, January-February 2025 – 9,092 people, including 3,561 in France)
France does not need a (fleeting!) TV hero… It needs a Captain!
