Cyril is a thought leader in the areas of productivity, time management and work life balance. As one of the world’s leading experts on productivity, Cyril supports executives, leaders and teams to improve performance & work life balance by changing work habits.
Cyril is the author of the best-selling book Work Smarter, Live Better. His book has been ranked in the top 100 business books worldwide and in the top 10 business books in Australia. He is a regular contributor to publications such as Business Review Weekly and the Australian Financial Review. He has also appeared in national media regularly.
Cyril has built WSLB into a highly respected training firm for the Australian and International market. The WSLB training has been delivered to over five thousand people across 19 countries.
The Personal Origin Story
Bonjour I’m Cyril. In short I help transforming people’s life by changing their work habits.
As you will guess from my accent if we meet, I am originally from France. In 2001 my wife and I emigrated to Australia. So this makes me a half French half Australian. I support the French team when it comes to football but I am a big fan of Australia when it comes to the beauty of its outdoors and the friendliness of the people.
In France I worked for a few large corporates. I was lucky to get promoted pretty quickly and became a senior manager in my early thirties. I still remember the day I got the job. I was so proud and so excited. Unstoppable. And then it hits me. I was part of the leadership team and involved in many meetings. I was getting more and more emails every month. And I had a team of 15 people. I got completely swamped. I was getting busier and busier, working harder and harder, and not enjoying it.
This planted a seed which lead to 2006 when I launched Work Smarter: Live Better. From the outset many people think this is about clean desk (or desktop), zero inbox, ways to manage your tasks, time and meetings, and better prioritisation. It is and it’s not. Of course we challenge people around all these and more. But the real focus is about being ALIVE. By changing your work habits you will transform your life.
It has transformed my life and the life of so many people my team and I had the pleasure and privilege to work with. That’s why I am so passionate about it. That’s why I love why I do.
Having said that I am far from being perfect. I am a constant work in progress as my wife would say. For my 50th birthday she and my close friends offered me a book called ‘Work Smarter: Live Better - the alternative version’…. This book is not for sale…
Cyril’s Guiding Principles
I have a few guiding principles which keep me grounded and doing the right things. Three to four times per week I review these principles while meditating.
Life in every breath
I have a passion for the sea and free diving. And there is a quote that vibrates in me every time I read it.
‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away’.
You only live once. Live every moment 200% with passion, energy and focus, and each day as if it was the last. Laugh at yourself.
The secret of living is giving
‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ Churchill
The secret of living is giving. Love and care should be the foundations of what I do.
Kaisen – the thrive to continuously improve
I am not perfect and will never be. But I thrive to continuously improve. Let’s be curious, creative, proactive and open to feedback & ideas. Let’s constantly improve. I will make mistakes, plenty, and learn from them.