The Chief Always Speaks Last

A genuine management diamond!

Olivier Zara's ability to analyze and synthesize makes his books clear, effective and super-powerful! As an open-minded and attentive listener, his approach is at once conceptual, strategic and pragmatic.

In this book, you'll find excellent thinking: precise, effective and above all, so right... all in 65 pages.

Françoise Lerond, Strategic Marketing and Communications Director at BioLogic

In an increasingly fast-changing environment, where decisions are made urgently, under pressure, and with incomplete or contradictory information, managers are preoccupied with the question of making the “right” decisions.

Through his concept of complex decision architecture, Olivier Zara offers a practical methodology for turning challenges into collective opportunities that create value. I discovered his work several years ago, when I was looking for ways to move forward with a project that had come to a complete standstill. Drawing on his principles, particularly active listening to stakeholders, I was able to breathe new life into the project by mobilizing collective intelligence to restart the change process. That experience led me to explore his thinking further, particularly through his book “The Chief Always Speaks Last”.

This holistic and systemic approach proved to be a powerful driver of transformation. It enabled me to revive a previously stalled project involving structural change, bring it to completion, and, above all, involve every stakeholder in a collective success. Making decisions is not simply about applying a method, but about creating a framework in which every voice enriches the vision and collective engagement becomes a source of resilience in times of crisis, sustainable performance, and trust within teams.

Corine Sempé, Organizational Coach – Supporting HR Transformations

A manifesto full of tips, pragmatic and very operational. I think this book fits in perfectly with slow management practices, and especially with the development of agile management. The meeting with the rounds of Post-it notes is "formidable" in its simplicity and effectiveness. Thank you Olivier Zara!

Stéphanie Gay, Corporate Academy Manager at SCHMIDT GROUPE

The chief always speaks last: this principle should be self-evident, but it's not. That's why we need all the wisdom, expertise and sense of humor of Olivier Zara to remind us.

After The Tea Strategy and Decision-Making Excellence, Olivier Zara has now reached the quintessence of collective intelligence. The Digital Sprint method he has developed and perfected over the years is extremely powerful. It is highly effective, both in terms of efficiency and the quality of the reflections produced. A must-read, then a must-practice.

Robert de Quelen, International Business Coach

This practical and operational book will help you progress in the practice of collective intelligence. Olivier Zara invites us to discover the first posture that relies on us alone: the chief always speaks last!

It's a powerful management tool for those who want to mobilize collective intelligence and achieve decision-making excellence.

Xavier Richard, Branch Manager, Caisse d'Épargne CEPA

Thank you for this excellent summary of best practices in managing collective intelligence. I have successfully implemented all the advice given. They ensure that all participants in a meeting contribute effectively.

Xavier Zantman, consultant, trainer and coach at OSACTION

This book is incredibly powerful. Every manager should have it on their bedside table!

Reassuring and comforting, Olivier Zara offers us a toolbox for being more effective managers.

Nelly Boutchoki, QWL Project Manager, Orange

This collective intelligence manifesto presents powerful concepts and practical advice, in particular silent meetings, the combination of oral and written communication and the role of the chief to enhance the intelligence of his employees.

Christian Darvogne, Senior Advisor for Change Management, Partner of KPMG - former President of Carewan

For a manager, there can be no decision-making excellence without the use of collective intelligence, which is essential to solving any problem. Some managers, and not always the youngest ones, have a limited understanding of the art of running meetings and the practices that could encourage their teams to speak freely.

Every salesperson has experienced three-hour meetings in which the boss does 80% of the talking, everything depends on spoken exchanges, and nothing comes of it! In his book, Olivier Zara assures us that these meetings will soon belong in a management museum. He explains why collective intelligence self-destructs the moment the chief opens their mouth.

Make no mistake: “The Chief Always Speaks Last” is first and foremost a powerful managerial act that requires effort and a deliberate leadership stance from the manager. In 55 pages, you will discover how to improve the quality of your decisions. Thank you, Olivier Zara!

Jean Paul Jacquet, Trainer and Coach for Sales Professionals and Managers at Alyas-Formaco

We already knew that leaders eat last, they should also talk last according to Olivier Zara! Otherwise, everybody will agree with the manager / expert and the meeting will not effectively solve problems. This is not so easy to implement; therefore Olivier Zara gives us a methodology, tools and actionable tips to keep quiet during a meeting and bring out the best ideas of the team.

Florence Meyer, Coach & Leadership Consultant, Speaker & Author

55 pages of pure joy! Thank you for this manifesto, which brings renewed meaning to leading a sales team. It offers a great toolbox that can be put to use quickly and easily.

Beyond the manager’s role in initiating interaction, sharing, and engagement within their teams, it is also a source of personal and professional fulfillment for all stakeholders working for the benefit of the group.

Nicolas Rembarz, Retail Network Coordination Manager at Cofidis France

Olivier Zara is once again taking one step ahead in management tools, by rebuilding the distribution of speech in a team or a group. This is a triple victory: employee engagement, the good health of organizations, which are thus vaccinated against toxic practices, and operational performance with an unequalled problem-solving capacity.

Paul-Louis Moreau, Data Governance & Data Strategy Manager at BNP Paribas

Do you dream of shorter, more effective meetings? Above all, meetings with richer contributions and therefore greater efficiency? Combining written and spoken communication in a structured, disciplined way makes it possible to respect everyone’s time, focus on what matters, and spend less time at the mercy of those who talk too much—all to the benefit of ideas that often go unspoken. Well done to Olivier Zara for this concise little book on using digital tools in management practices.

Cyril OGEE, Mentor at Assertive Career Mentoring

Olivier’s new book is invigorating, enlightening, and uplifting. He shares his insights in simple, practical terms in an inspiring book that strongly resonates with what any of us may experience, observe, and sometimes “face” in our working lives. Working through collective intelligence is demanding, but it is “well worth it”. Olivier’s insights and practical guidance help us avoid pitfalls and, above all, combine performance with the pleasure of working together.

Bénédicte Magnin-Feysot, Consultant Supporting People and Organizations Through Transformation

An excellent book that belongs in the hands of every manager (gestionnaire in Canada), whether on the front line or high up in the hierarchy. I was told a long time ago that SPEAKING LAST is common practice in Japanese companies... Well done, then, to Olivier Zara for passing on this important message to all our managers.

Christian Martin, Learning Coach

A powerful and very useful book for all managers! Knowing how to keep quiet is the beginning of wisdom and, with this book, it becomes a concrete recipe for a better team management.

Dominique Turcq, Management Consultant, Founder of the Boostzone Institute

True to his thinking on collective intelligence, Olivier Zara reminds us of the basic principles of good management and decision-making excellence in a short book that is easy to read and keep with you at all times. He once again teaches us the right way to use the digital sprint, an original and effective hybrid meeting technique that alternates digital writing with spoken exchanges. The benefits of individual writing during group meetings are explained perfectly. Try it as soon as you can!

Guillaume Peter, Management and Human Resources Consultant

The title of this book may seem counterintuitive, even subversive, but in fact, far from preventing leaders from expressing themselves, it encourages ideas to be developed together and enables fast, effective decision-making. Olivier ZARA gives us a concise overview of the tools for mobilizing the full range of intelligence within an organization. This book is THE go-to handbook for the agile, self-assured manager.

Charles Escoula, Projects Director

The title intrigues; what follows explains the why and how of collective intelligence: the ethical prerequisites set out in the Collective Intelligence Manifesto, definitions of key concepts, and a well-supported set of meeting techniques... The guidance is therefore grounded firmly in the daily reality of companies, rather than detached from it.

Chrystèle Verfaille, HR Internal Digital Communications at BNP Paribas

Leaders face a blank page in two situations: before taking their organization beyond familiar territory, and when they unexpectedly encounter unprecedented circumstances, such as a crisis unlike any other. In both cases, the usual operating instructions no longer apply. Expertise, procedures, strict adherence to instructions, and routines are, at best, useless and, at worst, counterproductive.

Mobilizing diverse and complementary forms of intelligence then becomes one of the few viable options available to leaders, who, more than ever, must guide their teams using appropriate methods to stimulate collective intelligence. The second step is within the reach of (almost) everyone: stop talking and listen. The first step is even simpler: read The Chief Always Speaks Last.

Marc Weltmann, Director of Nexidée, International Purchasing Specialist & Former Armed Forces Commissariat Officer

A must for anyone who wants to be among the leaders of our transformation to the next normality. As with everything else in life, before taking the floor, we must give it.

Claude Emond, agility coach at Quali-Scope

As everyone knows, officers in the field have a rule: the chief always eats last.

It was therefore only natural for Olivier Zara to write this short book, continuing the work he has been developing for more than ten years. In less than an hour, you will take a major step toward understanding this complex subject.

Jean-Claude Dussaucy, Management Consultant – Former Major General in the Armed Forces Commissariat

A book to discover the new essential skills for managers who want to lead their organization and their team in an increasingly complex environment.

Christophe Lefevre, management consultant at Vitalance

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is clear, concise, and offers real, “ready-to-use” methods. In popular education, we are well versed in these participatory methods that encourage collective intelligence, yet I still found approaches that I cannot wait to try.

Sonia Rousseau, Director at CSC Grand Croix

Olivier Zara takes a different approach to how companies are organized by exploring “sharing the floor” and, by extension, managers who know how to give their teams a voice.

How can we turn silent individuals into a powerful, active group?

A must-read: a highly visionary book on organizational management, among other things.

Lydie Demouchy, Trainer, Coach & Psychotherapy Practitioner

Over time, Olivier Zara has shared his reflections, concepts, and practices in collective intelligence and decision-making excellence with us. This time, he brings together his experiences, drawing on the rich, constructive connections that weave them together. Concise, well structured, clear, enjoyable to read, and intriguingly titled, this book is one I recommend to anyone who wants to listen and then speak… last!

Charlotte Goudreault, Trainer and Coach in Team Management and Organizational Transformation

A new book that gets straight to the point while drawing on Olivier’s extensive published work. It retains the essence of the various facets of collective intelligence explored previously, with a significantly broader scope for practical application. I see it as a fine educational effort to give more people access to concepts that are only beginning to be shared. Just as much as the title (the manifesto’s third principle), the second principle (co-construction) is a whole program in itself. Finally, Chapter 6 brings us back to the real world with an approach that lets us set digital tools aside for a while and focus on what matters: collective intelligence keeps moving forward, whatever the circumstances.

Patrice Lerouge, Consultant and Facilitator Supporting Collective Development at Reliences