Q&A Part 2: Karl Payeur on Leading Through Collaboration

Karl, you’re heading up two FTI Consulting segments in France. What are the advantages of this type of structure?

In targeted markets like France, we need to be integrated across our segments because our teams are supporting the same clients repeatedly. A significant portion of businesses will have the same decision makers for their FLC and Technology matters, so it’s important that our experts from various segments can work as a cohesive team. This way, we can support our clients with a broad range of expertise that touches every phase involved in meeting their needs and solving their complex issues. With this collaborative approach, we can bridge gaps and deliver a more robust service to our clients.

In your view, how does culture impact service delivery?

Every company has its own organizational culture. For those operating globally, there’s the additional layer of cultural differences between countries and regions. As consultants, we need to adjust to our client’s culture and learn to understand how global cultural differences impact both their business and their risks. FTI Consulting does this well because of our global reach, depth of expertise and culture of collaboration. Our global teams can work together seamlessly to bring experience and value to our clients in domestic and cross-border matters.

Collaboration has been a recurring theme in this discussion. Can you expand on how collaboration shows up in your leadership style?

Yes, my approach is to collaborate and lift my team up with me, rather than to push them. I prefer this to the approach of telling people what to do. I want to inspire our teams to achieve and exceed what they want in their professional life. I also recognize that just like every company has its own culture, every person has their own reality. It doesn’t work to lead different people with one approach—rather, leaders must adapt to the reality of team members at different places in their careers and in their lives. Adjusting is key.

I adapt to the team I have in front of me by working to understand who they are. The human aspect is the most important aspect of leadership, to be able to have that human contact. We are now working in a hybrid model, which has many great advantages but also makes it more difficult to understand what drives and motivates the people in front of us. I think a leader today needs to find creative ways to create connection and inspire excellence, because that’s what people are looking for. That’s what I aim to do.

The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals.