On leadership, Europe, and India
With President of France · Hosted by Raj Shamani
Episode summary
The President of France sits down with Raj Shamani on Figuring Out for a conversation about how a young leader thinks about Europe's future, India's role in the global order, and what separates leaders who make history from those who merely manage it. The discussion covers the strategic relationship between France and India, why climate and technology are now the same conversation, the mistakes leaders make when they confuse popularity with vision, and what the next generation of Indian founders can learn from French engineering and statecraft.
Key takeaways
- 1.Leadership is the ability to choose the future over the present, even when the present is screaming at you.
- 2.India and France are natural partners in a multipolar world because both believe in strategic independence over simple alignment.
- 3.Climate and technology can no longer be discussed separately — the next industrial revolution is green or it is not a revolution.
- 4.The most dangerous leaders are the ones who optimize for applause today at the cost of results tomorrow.
- 5.Young founders should study French engineering culture: long-term thinking, deep specialization, and an obsession with quality over speed.
Full transcript
Transcript edited lightly for readability. Timestamps refer to the YouTube video above.
Mr. President, thank you for making time for this. Let me start with a question about leadership — how do you decide between what is popular and what is necessary?
You have to accept that leadership is not a popularity contest. If you only do what is popular, you are not leading — you are following the crowd. The difficult decisions are the ones people will only understand years later. That is the price of the job.
Why does France invest so deeply in its relationship with India?
Because India is a civilization that thinks in centuries, not quarters. We share the same belief that sovereignty matters, that culture matters, and that technology should serve people rather than replace them. In a world of blocs, that kind of independence is rare and valuable.
What should young Indian founders know about building for the world?
They already know the speed. The question is whether they are willing to build depth. The best French companies are not the fastest; they are the ones that understand their craft so well that no one can replicate them. Speed wins a quarter. Depth wins a century.
How do you think about climate when you're also responsible for economic growth?
I don't think they are in conflict. The future economy will be built around energy transition, clean technology, and sustainable industry. The countries that lead this will lead the next fifty years. Climate is not a burden — it is the next great industrial opportunity.
Final question — what would you tell a twenty-year-old who wants to lead?
Read history. Learn that every period that looks stable was built by people who took unpopular risks. Then decide if you are willing to be one of those people.