- Inspiring Connections by Anita Cassagne
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- š³ Summer, effectiveness & the underestimated power of ātaking careā
š³ Summer, effectiveness & the underestimated power of ātaking careā
Inspiring Connections by Anita Cassagne - July 2025
Anita Cassagne
July 08, 2025
Dear leaders,
Letās talk about something we often forget to give enough attention - well-being.
We wait all year for those few summer weeks to finally pause. To breathe. To sleep more, walk more, eat a little better, and reconnect with ourselves and the people who matter.
And every year, the same thought crosses my mind: āwhy donāt I live like this all the time?ā
The truth is, well-being isnāt just a reward after hard work. Itās a fundamental part of being effective - especially as leaders.
So, this July, I invite you to reflect on that and take time for some amazing reading!
Happy summer!
Anita
Anita Cassagne, Founder & Coach at The Laughing Willow.
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This monthās nugget
Summer readings
 | Comme une intime Ć©vidence - Camille Gallard Released in French Between maternal doubts, social pressures, and tender bonds, Comme une intime Ć©vidence is a deeply moving journey into the early steps of a new family. A sensitive and profoundly human novel about love, vulnerability, and the sometimes heartbreaking instinct to want to live up to it all. |
"Stories for Work" - Gabrielle Dolan Released in French and English What if summer is a great time to reconnect with your storytelling skills? Leaders who master the art of storytelling have a powerful advantage. The book covers techniques for identifying and structuring stories, tailoring them to different audiences, and using them to achieve business objectives, making storytelling a valuable skill for leaders and professionals. If you want to go further, spend a day with us! Come here |  |
 | Ce que je sais de toi (What I know about you) - Eric Chacour Released in French and English "What I Know About You" by Ćric Chacour is set in Cairo in the 1980s. Tarek, a young doctor from a Christian Levantine family, sees his life turned upside down after meeting Ali, a free-spirited and uninhibited young man. Their forbidden relationship ultimately drives him into exile in Montreal. |
Un battement de coeur aprĆØs lāautre - FranƧoise Bresson Released in French Thereās always an uncertain moment when life shifts, stumbles, or unfolds.When Marie becomes a widow after a terrible accident, she sinks into deep grief. How do you rise above the clouds when youāre completely down? How do you accept the hands reaching out to you and allow yourself to reinvent who you are? Between courage and setbacks, her journey will take her to Provence, to a refuge for broken souls. Maybe itās there, heartbeat after heartbeat, that she will learn to taste happiness again... |  Recently released in a small pocket edition, itās already in my handbag! |
 | Roddy Doyle - any one (or several) of his books! Roddy is an Irish author, playwright and scenarist fueled by Irish humour and the reality of what makes the Irish peopleās heart beat and Ireland the nation that it is. From funny to harsh realism, you just cannot put his books down. Enjoy! |  |
Leadership nudges
Another great summer read is āThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleā by Stephen R. Covey. If you havenāt come across it yet, thereās a really good video introduction here. Itās definitely worth diving deeper.
The last habit is called āSharpen the Saw.ā In other words: take care of yourself so you can keep going, and keep growing.
Covey identifies four dimensions we need to nourish:
š³ Physical - sleep, move, eat with intention, go for long walks
š³ Mental - read, learn, reflect, give your brain some fresh air
š³ Spiritual - take time for silence, clarity, purpose
š³ Social/Emotional - connect with people who lift you up and make you think
None of this is rocket science. But when weāre āover our headsā - back-to-back meetings, deadlines, decisions - itās often the first thing we forget.
What if we stopped thinking of well-being as something we do after work, and started using it as part of how we work?
Wherever you are this summer - in the countryside, in the city, or simply at home - I hope you make space to sharpen your saw.
Not because you need a break, but because you are worth maintaining. And because sustainable leadership starts with how we lead ourselves.
A session for you
š A lunch like no other
And what if co-development was part of your social and emotional well-being ritual?
What if, starting this new season, you made co-development a priority to nourish your soul?
SAVE THE DATES NOW:
DanaĆ© MĆ¢che and I are really excited to tell you that upcoming co-development sessions are now open for registration!
š³ Monday, October 13, 2025
š³ Friday, November 7, 2025
Sessions will be held in either French or English according to the participantsā preference.
What to expect?
-> A simple, supportive, powerful space
-> Real challenges youāre facing
-> Collective intelligence in action
A few days ago, we held 2 sessions for 10 French leaders.
CEOs, plant directors, HR directors, HR development managers, startup founders...
A lunch unlike any other. Remote... yet truly connected.
And they say it best themselves.
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Want to join the next sessions?
