Profile: Rene Carayol

 
Rene Carayol is one of the leading speakers in the UK. A recognised authority on leadership. An accomplished author, TV presenter and conference facilitator.René has provided leadership support to the likes of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, the Home Office and McKinsey and Co, and is now an accomplished Visiting Professor at Cass business school. In fact for many African and Caribbean professional speakers in the UK he is the pinnacle of what we would like to be back. And yes I have at least four other professional speakers who I could quote on that.

I had the privilege a little while back to be able to have a phone interview with Carayol to tap into the keys to his success. So here goes.

What is your name?
Rene Carayol

What is your background or lineage?
I was born in Gambia but grew up in Harlesden. My father was a diplomat. I went to school in Harlesden then on to university after which I held successful jobs in Marks Spencer, Pepsi and IPC Media before it was sold to AOL Time Warner.

What do you do for a living/What is your vocation?
I am a writer and speaker on leadership. My mission is to create more leaders.

When did you know what you wanted to be?
As a kid all I wanted to be was successful. Mum had 3 jobs. Dad had 2 so I was always driven never to have to do that. This drove me to be successful.

Who or what would you say was the biggest influence in your life?
Without a doubt the quote from Muhammad Ali ” I don’t have to be what you want me to be”

Who is your biggest hero and why?
I have two. Muhammad Ali and Nelson Mandela.

What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome in order to get where you are today?
Most definitely a lack of self belief. I had to get over those people who surrounded me who had a victim mentality.

What, if any, is your experience of racism?
Nothing  that was insurmoutable. Isms are something we can always overcome.

What would be your top tips for success for our young people growing up in today’s society?
Know what you are great for and stand for it. Have a strong look. Dont blame anyone else for your success or your failure.

If you had one wish that could be granted to positively affect the UK black community what would that one wish be?
To have more leaders affecting positive change.

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A special thank you to Rene for sharing his wisdom here.
You can find out more about him at http://www.carayol.com

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Tags: Champions, Rene Caryol, Speaker, carayol.com

Nathaniel Peat Bags Two Awards

Good to see a good friend and damn smart business man picking up the Social Enterprise and People’s Choice awards held by the Daily Mail.<p>Nathaniel Peat runs The Safety Box a personal safety organisation which he set up after the death of Kiyan Prince. The one hour workshops he runs mainly at schools focuses on helping children and young adults how to manage conflict, raise levels of confidence and self esteem.<p> In the current negative limelight it is positive to see young black males leading the way forward for change.

Role Model Recruitment

The BBC reports that

Successful role models for young black men are to be recruited to counteract the influence of gang culture, the communities secretary has announced.Hazel Blears said four prominent figures, including entrepreneur Tim Campbell, will hunt for 20 men, such as doctors, lawyers and businessmen. She said the Black Boys’ National Role Models programme would be an “antidote to a culture of low aspiration”.

Personally I think this is a simplistic approach to a complex problem but hey it is a start. A lot of students I speak to in schools aren’t really that bothered with role models outside of their local community. A lot of black professionals who have succeeded have left areas of poverty and depression a long time ago and in many respects speak a different language.The four men who have been highlighted include Tim Campbell (Entrepreneur), Leroy Logan (Met Police), Oswald Boateng (Fashion) and Simon Wolley (Operation Black Vote). I wish them well as they continue to promote positivity but something tells me that a lot of youngsters want to relate to someone a lot closer to home and age. Something I am finding out more and more as a visit schools.Wishing them well and watching this space.

Quote of the Week

“The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time” (Terry Tempest Williams).

Black Boys by Bashy

Accentuating the positive

Profile: Mia Morris

Although we are coming to the end of the 20th anniversary of black history month, there is still so much that can be said about a renewed sense of focus about black history in the UK. One of the key advocates of this thinking is Mia Morris (pictured)Mia is the founder of the Well Placed Consultancy, providing training, consulting, coaching and speaking. In her own words she says”Our aim is to build self esteem, increase personal effectiveness, and encourage risk taking and challenges, which will enable the individual to progress their career prospects.”

And so….

And so as Black History Month approaches,
my mind goes out once again to our youth.
With a media hell bent on reporting only knife and gun crime,
the constant digestion and regurgitation of subversive entertainment on channels which are nothing but BASE,
I salute the men and women who dedicate their energies and attentions to capturing the receptive minds of our future empoweing them to a higher plane.
Reminding us of where we came from, so we can know where we are going
Celebrating our successes, the glue that binds together a somewhat fractured community
Elevating the positive, reminding those battered by miseducation and misguidance, that their is a path less trodden which
When followed can produce fathers and mothers with a sense of identity,
that is passed wholly on to a generation,
breaking the legacy of negativity that is so pervasive and for some gives a false sense of pride
It’s more than a month, we should be making Black History every day
and so, it’s over to you now champions
over to you

Black Boys Can

The National Black Boys Can Association In conjunction with the National Union of Teachers Presents:

Raising the Academic Attainment of Black Boys

A National Conference for School Leadership, Teachers and other education Practitioners in Primary and Secondary Schools

Tuesday, 13th November 2007, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm

A unique opportunity for those involved in education to learn new strategies for raising the achievement of Black Boys.

The Power List

New Nation, the Ethnic Media Group newspaper, has compiled a list of the most powerful and influential blacks in the UK. The Powerlist identifies and records a number of influential blacks in the UK.

I am delighted at this project as it highlights a number of blacks in the UK who have succeeded against the odds. It may seem trivial to some but for many black youth seeing that there are attainable characters and personalities who are doing well outside of just entertainment and sport is refreshing.

Boyz to Men

Watching Channel 4 now about this programme encouraging young black men to get into science programmes. Will edit once the show is over.