can be – unfriendly opposition rarely leads us out of problematic situations but
guarantees their unrestrained and unproductive escalation (see Volk,Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung, January 15, 2005).
One common argument is that in their environment leaders “produce” only the
type of manager that is similar to them. And this is actually true for mediocre or bad
managers. Good managers establish an argument culture and ensure that it is
maintained. Where arguments are carried out openly but not offensively, dissenting
views are welcome and where the boss can tolerate criticism, there is no fertile
ground for intrigue or hypocrisy. Officially the courage to “think out of the box” is
often requested. In reality, there is still too little of that today.
Managers must encourage their employees not to sweep conflicts and contra-
dictions under the rug and simply leave tricky decisions to the boss. Employees
must also be able to work and live with ambiguities and conflicts and to take
responsibility for their decisions. Or,as Reinhard K. Sprenger puts it: “This
requires managers with an open view of the values and interests that are both
legitimate and, therefore, always need to be balanced” (Sprenger 2002a,
pp. 237–238).
3.2.6.3 Between Daily Business and a Vision for the Future
A leader always faces two opposite requirements in practice, which can hinder each
other and sometimes even require contradictory thoughts and actions: they must
conduct their daily business, and they must prepare the organization for the future.
This is a balancing act that requires considerable strength, vision and courage.
It involves finding a viable middle course between constant revolution, which
comes with great risks and high costs, and stagnation in the current environment,
which carries an even greater risk and can cost the leader their head or even ruin
the company.
According to Drucker, every company exists in three time zones: in the tradi-
tional zone, in the transition and in the transformation zone. These zones represent
the past, the present and the future. The traditional area is the status quo, the
transition zone refers to what is happening, and the transformation zone refers to
preparing the company for the future. In Drucker’s view, a successful leader has to
manage all three zones at the same time, so that the can already do the planning for
tomorrow. As he put it, there are “no future decisions, only the future of present
decisions” (Flaherty and Drucker 1990b).
Modern leadership must always connect two dimensions: the structural and the
interactive. The structural dimension of leadership includes the culture and the
strategy (goals and instruments), the organization (tasks, skills and processes) and
the quality of staff (qualifications, identification and motivation). The interactive
dimension of leadership is about perception, analysis, reflection, communication,
consultation, decisions, cooperation, delegating, motivating, developing, evalu-
ating, etc. (see Wunderer 2002).
3.2 Leading with Your Head and Heart 163