Inclusive elitism: an evidence
After the remarkable success of the French women’s handball team and their coach Olivier Krumbholz, the latter perfectly summarized his role as coach and manager: "Before, I thought I was somewhat the owner of the team. Now, I no longer feel like the epicenter of this adventure. I came to set things in order and help the players. The performance stems from them; as a result of this evolution, the French women are now ‘co-owners of the team’ in a form of participatory democracy!"
This achievement illustrates the role of the coach as both a leader who guides, and a leader who listens and co-builds with his team.
Definition of elitism
According to Larousse, it is an “attitude or policy aimed at training and selecting the best elements of a group in terms of intellectual or physical abilities, at the expense of the majority.”
Based on this definition, elitism — from the Latin eligere (to choose, to elect, to sort) — is the consideration of certain individuals within a group or community as the best, the most worthy of being chosen, the most remarkable for their qualities. In general, school is the cradle of elites, the place where they are selected and educated, and the behavioral patterns developed there tend to continue later in professional life.
Too often, elitism is categorized and perceived negatively: as the domination of certain diplomas for a successful career, or as the supremacy of a particular form of intelligence cultivated through elite schools, themselves perceived as too homogeneous in their recruitment. But elitism is not limited to graduating from a prestigious school or belonging to a privileged social group. In what seems to be an individual journey, the path of excellence is also pursued for the benefit of others.
Indeed, it is important that today in business, elitism is no longer opposed to meritocracy but, on the contrary, complements it, in order to combine the best of both worlds.
Meritocracy is defined as a system in which positions and responsibilities are entrusted to individuals who have demonstrated the intelligence or ability required. The word comes from merit and kratos (power, authority). It tends to hierarchize and promote individuals according to merit, not social origin, wealth, or personal connections. For example, Netflix — the American VOD giant, whose successful transformation from a DVD mail-order company to a technology-driven entertainment company is well-known — manages its human resources in a very elitist way (“we seek excellence”). While made possible in the U.S. within a specific legal and cultural environment, this approach must integrate a strong dose of inclusiveness to be acceptable — and accepted — in France!
Enriching the vision of “talent = elite” is a key factor in making this inclusion successful. We can clearly see this in politics today, but it is just as necessary in building our teams. It is the responsibility of managers, managers of managers, and of course executives, to bring their teams together around the vision driven by the elites. And talent is not only about vision: it is essential to recognize talent in the five components of leadership (ENVISION, ENROLL, ENERGIZE, ENABLE, EXECUTE), based on the model of Jack Welch, one of the most emblematic U.S. business leaders between 1980 and 2000.
1. Owning your elitism for yourself
How can you spend more time turning your strengths into areas of excellence, and rely on your success ecosystem for the rest (whether you are a multinational or an independent consultant)? To perform better and strengthen their impact, a manager needs to structure their agenda and work — notably with the help of a coach — on how and by what means to become even stronger in the fields where their expertise is already recognized. This also involves knowing how to surround oneself with and delegate to colleagues and partners identified for their own points of excellence, with the shared goal of success.
2. Putting your self (conscious self) in the driver’s seat of excellence
Cultivate critical thinking and continuous self-questioning, particularly in relation to your sub-personalities. I recommend conducting regular reviews and spending a few minutes each week or month evaluating your achievements and areas for improvement. What feedback have I received — or not — this week from the market, my clients, colleagues, and managers? What are they telling me? Write it down and review your schedule to see how much time was devoted to your points of excellence versus reinforcing your strengths.