On the menu: authenticity and humility!

This week, we continue our walk through the LOBBY AWARDS ceremony, with a focus on the Economic Leader that our Jury has dedicated... and its Patron.

As we wrote in previous weeks, this prize was awarded to Thibaud Elzière and Quentin Nickmans who, "with eFounders, help dreamers to make their start-up a reality" as Thomas de Bergeyck, the host of the ceremony, put it so well.

Each Award having a Patron, it was necessary to have one worthy of this very coveted prize. So it was Michel Croisé, who has a CV as long as the arm... which speaks for itself. Judge for yourself: President of Sodexo Belgium-Luxembourg, he is also a member of the Management Committee of Actiris, the Strategic Committee of the FEB, he sits on the Board of Partena Professional as well as BECI and Comeos. He is President of the European and Belgian federations of catering companies and an active member of "2030", a group of leaders committed to sustainability!

As the Patron of a prestigious LOBBY AWARD, he was given the opportunity to present the award to the aforementioned winners and we took the opportunity to chat with him. A conversation with a man who has experienced such success can only be enriching.

Michel Croisé states from the outset that he did not accept this role lightly:

"In recent years, the Foodservices and Facilities Management sectors have been among the most impacted. Sodexo, the market leader, has had to face enormous challenges. It is these exceptional circumstances that motivated me to accept to sponsor the LOBBY AWARD for Economic Leader.

At this stage, what seemed particularly interesting to us was precisely how our interviewee perceives a leader. He is a leader and works with others every day: "If this is of course valid for all sectors, the economic fabric in particular needs today to have inspiring leaders to recreate itself. Leadership cannot be decreed, leaders are recognized as such. Economic, political and media leadership requires more than ever an exemplary behavior at all levels, without compromise. The "virtuous" and inspiring leaders we need so much are those who make us dream, at all levels. They are the ones who will make us want to take them as an example, if we don't want to increase the disconnection with the institutions. This requires authenticity and humility". Wouldn't Michel Croisé be a bit optimistic... not to say... utopian?

While some people think that these awards are futile and serve more to flatter the egos of the winners than anything else, the head of Sodexo disagrees: "Awards ceremonies and honors are more important than some people might think. They put exceptional people in the spotlight. It's a great way to show recognition for a job well done. But more than a recognition of merit, it implies a reminder of the duty to set an example and to drive change. It is therefore more of a responsibility that requires taking risks to move the lines. These risks are often the source of so much personal satisfaction "when you look back and see that you have had more successes than failures" (to paraphrase Sodexo founder Pierre Bellon). This requires above all being the leader of your life and doing what you love and dream of! This is the basis for influence and conviction.

At LOBBY, which cultivates caring and inspiring leadership, we couldn't have said it better. And that's what drives us, every year, to organize the LOBBY AWARDS. Always with commitment, motivation and passion.