In French organizations, leadership positions carry both genuine authority and genuine accountability. The person in charge has real power to decide within their domain—and bears real responsibility for results. This concentration means French leaders cannot easily diffuse accountability onto committees, processes, or subordinates.
When things go well, the leader is credited. When things go poorly, the leader is held responsible.
This is considered appropriate: authority and accountability should be aligned. If you lead in a French context, understand that the responsibility is yours personally. You cannot hide behind process or point to subordinate failure. This concentration creates incentive to actually exercise your authority—since you will be accountable regardless, you might as well direct things properly.
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