Wondersource at UNLEASH: Key Insights from the Future of Work Event in Paris
By Michelle Velan, Wondersource Founder
Wondersource had an amazing experience at the UNLEASH Future of Work event in Paris last week. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn, exchange ideas, and connect with inspiring leaders from around the globe, all focused on shaping the future of work. The event provided valuable insights into the evolving workplace, emphasizing the importance of innovation, employee learning and development, and a more heart led leadership approach in navigating these changes. We left feeling energized and more committed than ever to empowering teams and organizations for the future ahead.
Here are some of our favourite takeaways from the event:
Competent Humility: Professor Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks talked about the concept of competent humility and pointed out that we are bad predictors of which of our ideas are good. Neither Keith Richards or Mick Jagger thought (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction should have been released as a single. In the workplace, recognising that ideas are imperfect and creating psychological safety allows teams to share imperfect ideas, leading to innovation and better solutions. And as leaders, when we acknowledge that our ideas are imperfect, people are more willing to help us and we're more likely to come up with better solutions.
Shifting Power in Organizations: CEO of Groupe VYV, Delphine Maisonneuve, who was incredibly gracious and spent time chatting with me after her panel, shared invaluable insights on how the power dynamic within organizations is shifting. Employees now hold all the power. Stability no longer exists, and upskilling, trust, and soft skills are vital to building resilient teams. Leaders need to bring passion to work. She gave a message to HR: Stay close to your CEOs, they need you.
Speak to your People: CEO of Morrisons, Rami Baitiéh, delivered an important message on the role of HR, advocating for transparency and open communication. Leadership needs to know where they stand—what they’re doing well and where they can improve. At Morrisons, every store gives every department an NPS score so they know how what they’re doing well and where they can improve. One of the biggest challenges today is teaching employees to manage complexity. Because drive, humility and managing complexity are essential for employees to thrive. A message to HR and leadership: Build trust and your company will fly. Keep your door open and make your email available to your people. When you speak to your people they stay.
Building Resilient "Pathfinder" Organisations: Futurist Amy Webb talked about the world of work in 2030. My favourite takeaway was around Bystander organisations (Blackberry) and Pathfinder organisations (Nintendo). At Bystander organisations, leaders want to know the ROI and the answer before they do something new. They don't invest in HR or their people. At Pathfinder organisations, leaders want their ideas to be challenged, they like uncertainty because it helps them grow and unlock better solutions and ideas. They're all in on HR, always developing their people. We can apply this to ourselves as individuals as well. We so often want complete certainty of success before trying something new whether that’s applying for a new role, investing in a coach or asking that person out, but we all know that’s not how life works. We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone, put our heart into things and not have all the answers. Uncertainty is a fact of life and we can either pretend it doesn’t exist and stay put with “certain” outcomes or we can dive in and appreciate that things are always evolving and we’ll learn and adjust as we go and without risk there is no reward.
The Power of Managers & Culture: CEO Patrick Blethon emphasized how people leave companies because of their bosses. Building passionate and emotionally intelligent managers is essential to retaining talent. Managers are the key to strong workplace culture. Care about your people.
Courageous Leadership in the Workplace. Claire Isnard, Global Chief People Officer at Chanel, highlighted that "people are our most important asset" and the need for leaders to connect on a human level and more of their heart into business. Her considered approach to onboarding—encouraging people to take their time, meet people and learn—has helped to build a culture of trust and inclusion. She emphasized that failure is part of growth, and good leadership empowers others to unleash their confidence. Her career defining moments all occurred when someone took a chance on her reminding us of the importance of taking chances on people, that all the leaders we admire were once less seasoned employees without all the answers or clear path forward, and also that while we do have to show up and do the work, there are invisible forces helping us along the way when we open ourselves to them.
Mastering Emotion Management. Professor Ethan Kross shared valuable strategies to manage "chatter"—the inner voice that impacts performance and well-being. Not surprisingly, studies show that athletes who are able to harness their inner voice perform better. He shared a quote from Rafael Nadal, “What I battle hardest to do in a tennis match is to quiet the voices in my head.” It’s work for all of us but with the right techniques we can all harness that voice, reduce stress and perform at our best. He shared the techniques of immersing ourselves in moments of awe, which helps to shrink ourselves and put our lives into persepective, and distanced self-talk (e.g., "Mich, you’ve got this"). His story of Jeff Bridges who was stressing about having to improve on the set of Iron Man and shifting his mindset was a good reminder that a small adjustment can have a big impact. “It drove me absolutely crazy until I made a slight adjustment in my brain that was, ‘Jeff, just relax. You’re making a $200 million student film. Just relax and have fun,’” Bridges said. “And that kind of did the trick.”
Modern Leadership: Head & Heart. Dr Kirstin Ferguson talked about the head-based qualities (curiosity, wisdom, perspective, capability) and heart-based qualities (empathy, humility, self-awareness, courage) necessary for modern leadership. She highlighted the need for both head and heart with a beautiful story that brought tears to me eyes of a Sargent who kissed his injured colleague on the cheek as he lifted him into a helicopter. She reminded us that no matter what our titles, we always have an impact and every moment is an opportunity to lead. Be mindful of the impact you’re having because we’re all always having an impact.
Generation Z's Expectation of Flexibility and Purpose: During the Gen Z panel, one of the most compelling statistics was that 76% of Gen Z employees expect more flexibility at work. They’re not driven by hustle culture like previous generations but still care deeply about purpose and meaningful work. Gen Z expects to feel cared for and have autonomy over their work. They value learning and development and expect their employers to create environments that nurture their growth. They also know what they want and unlike other generations they’re more willing to speak up for it.
Key Takeaway: People First, Always 🥰
The key theme for Wondersource: while AI and tech innovations are transforming the workplace, people are and always will be our greatest asset. Passion was another recurring topic—creating environments that unlock managers and employees' passion is key. Too often, we leave our human, playful, and passionate selves at home, but this is exactly what we and our teams need to thrive.
When employees have a solid foundation for mental and physical health, they feel psychologically safe and empowered with the tools and skills to lead and take ownership of their roles, stress and absenteeism decreases, engagement and performance increases. Companies can foster this by truly caring for their people, treating them as individuals rather than just employees, and investing in their well-being and success. This investment isn’t just a cost—it’s the key to unlocking potential.
Most managers want to succeed but often lack the tools to manage their own stress and lead others effectively. This is at the heart of what we do at Wondersource. Through our mental fitness, holistic health, and professional development programs, we help build thriving company cultures, fostering resilience, innovation, and success across organizations.
What are your thoughts? Let’s connect and chat!
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At Wondersource, our mission is to empower every employee and business professional to live mentally and physically healthy lives, unlock their potential, live with more joy and ease and thrive. Our Signature Mind, Body, Work program helps individuals break free from limiting beliefs and embrace their unique power. We even cover abundance mindset! By fostering mental fitness, holistic health and soft skills development we empower people to lead healthier, more successful lives—both inside and outside the workplace.
If you're ready to amplify your own growth or your team's potential and health and foster a culture of holistic growth, reach out to us at hello@wondersource.co or book in a call to learn more. We offer 1-1 coaching services, and team classes, workshops and more to empower employees to thrive! Let's embark on a journey towards thriving together.
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