NEOMA BS alumni in London had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Patrick Baudry, former Astronaut and UNESCO ambassador, on 28 January.

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Jointly organised by NEOMA Business School and the London Alumni tribe as part of the “Rencontres Passerelles Monde,” series, the title of the lecture was “Achieving excellence, the role of leadership.” Patrick Baudry, an Officer of the Légion d’Honneur, Chevalier of the National Order of Merit, UNESCO Ambassador and holder of numerous other honorary titles, unassumingly described his career in a conference room at the four-star Pullman St Pancras hotel in London, to a delighted audience of one hundred or so alumni.
According to Patrick Baudry, a good leader needs to be gifted with certain qualities, such as adaptability, and a desire to understand his/her team. In this time of global careers, it is crucial for a manager to understand and to adapt to cross-cultural differences if the team is to be as effective as possible.
After beginning his career as an air force pilot and then as an astronaut for the Soviet space programme, for which he was the only successful candidate from a list of 2000, Patrick Baudry experienced cross-cultural teamwork when he joined a group of Russian pilots at the time of the Cold War. According to him, one of the key motivations that helped him to adapt to this new environment was his admiration for the people with whom he was working. Excellence makes you want to surpass yourself and to contribute as much as possible to the team’s achievements. Respect, open-mindedness, curiosity and a big imagination are all qualities that leaders need if they are to help others to obtain exceptional results.
The conference was followed by a convivial drinks reception during which our London alumni were able to speak informally with Patrick Baudry, Frank Bostyn, Dean of NEOMA Business School and the representatives of NEOMA Business School Foundation.