That afternoon, talking about the wars of religion, secularism and the Second Vatican Council. The speaker is a priest, former Rector of the Catholic University of Toulouse. In the public, a dozen leaders of SMEs, all sectors and all generations. It is a meeting APM, association founded in 1987 by Pierre Bellon, founder and President of Sodexo (catering and business services), which includes today more than 4,000 members in the France. "The meeting is important." "This is not a course, but an Exchange on a particular theme, chosen by the members of the club", said Eric Eisenberg, Director of the NPA for two years.
Both training session and club of reflection, the conferences of the NPA generally begins with a friendly lunch and take place on a half-day. Has reason to one per month, each Conference is hosted by a mediator, always the same, different from the speaker. Sometimes deliberately distant from their professional environment, the themes are in decision-making with the strategic concerns of policy makers however. Starting from including religion, discussion quickly slides on the difficulty to work all of the people of cultures, if different religions; respect for the religious prohibitions that sometimes come into conflict with professional practice. Talking also of the report to the money in Christian morality. And each, very freely expressed its objections, his reflections, his doubts also.

Pattern of the CAC 40 here step since the target is the leader of SMEs, but some great patterns, including Xavier Huillard, CEO of Vinci, are passed by the mysteries of the NPA to a point in their career. "I see not a pattern of the CAC 40 saying that it must still move forward and develop." "In addition, these leaders are looking for more clubs to do lobbying, it is not our goal", says the Director of the NPA. No politics here, nor public stance on hot topics. However, it is recognized that the association, in addition to its training role, can be a way to expand its address book and why step to conclude some business, even if it is not the priority posted by officials.
Otherwise consider the real
On a slightly different model and in a more restricted scope, KeyPeople clubs together each ten leaders for a monthly evening. Here, the pedagogy by the detour is systematic and stakeholders are a wide variety: anaesthetist doctor who just talk about his work in emergencies, a mountaineer of high mountain on the management of risks, a conductor on the animation of the collective or even a philosopher on the violence of human relations. "Often, intervention may seem very remote from our professional practice on a daily basis, but in discussing then together, rearrangements are always possible," said Catherine Chouard, HRD of Elior which has long been part of one of the clubs KeyPeople. For the founder, Philippe Leroux, the success of these circles is first and foremost the need for today's leaders "to learn of new codes and consider another way the real." They evolve in systems more increasingly complex, without always know how to move. These meetings enable them to get out of a too simplistic vision of the world and their business. "Evidence of its success, the average fidelity of members is six years. "Initially, they come to the intervener, although we do not come from the stars but rather people passionate about their topic, but very quickly, they come especially for the other members, for the richness of the exchanges between them," says Philippe Leroux.
Learn, change backgrounds, the leaders also have to speak freely. And Philippe Leroux to clarify: "all of these meetings are off course, never of journalists, never of persons outside the club and not more than 12 people to keep the meeting diary." This allows to address the subjects without taboos and fear to speak for itself. "Eric Eisenberg him also emphasizes the need for confidentiality:"all members are co-opted to avoid for example that two competitors are in the same club." Because of this, the leaders feel not found. "And for once, they have to answer to anyone.