Peter M. Senge has shown in his management classic “The Fifth Discipline” (see
Senge 1996) that leaders and companies alike can only implement their visions if
they are able to withstand emotional stress. This requires skill as well as time and
work spent on internal relationship management. And this seems to be lacking in
German companies. In 2002 the Academy conducted a survey of 242 leaders from
all over Germany: most of them claimed to recognize the importance of relationship
management, but only one third were satisfied with the relationship management in
their company.
It is the leaders who sow the seeds of growth in a company – or crush them. Their
leadership behavior, especially their integrity in dealings with their employees,
costumers and investors makes the difference. It is not surprising that, after being
all but lost in the euphoria of the New Economy, the honorable merchant’s virtues
are now becoming popular again. Slowly the insight is dawning that economic
success is based on ethics and morality.
The trick with this insight is that these value principles cannot simply be barked
out in orders. The constant demand for the Academy’s “Systemic Leadership”
seminar shows that there is an acute need among decision makers to create a new
climate in their companies. Yet one thing should not be forgotten: competence and
knowledge of the industry are more necessary than ever. Of course leaders still need
to have learned their skills and be able to use them, from controlling the company
up to conversation techniques and the definition of goal agreements.
Moreover it holds true that not only the technical competence is important but
also literally putting yourself to the test: reflect on your own values, goals and
effects, because leading means learning, over and over again. Leadership is most
successful when it combines both: mastering the tasks and instruments and devel-
oping the leader’s personality in order to truly move and inspire the people in their
company.
In Chap. 2 of this book I presented many correct and important answers to the
pressing question of what effective, successful and relationship-oriented leadership
depends on. Now I would like to “distil” ten statements from all these partly
contradictory, partly redundant approaches, theories and models. Here I do not
intend to paint an ideal (and unattainable) portrait of how leaders should be. All
leaders are still only human and that is exactly what they should be. In my opinion,
leading depends strongly on human qualities and capabilities and not primarily on
management tools. Leaders have to be brave enough to face their own emotions
and constructively use them for their tasks.
The following basic rules are not dogma. They are goals worth aspiring to – for
the people lead as well as for the company. Leading does not start with the
employee or the goal of the company – it starts with the leader. One of the most
important tasks of a leader is to reevaluate their own understanding of leadership
regularly and to ask if their own behavior in a given situation is helpful, effective
and adequate.
To me, good leadership means designing a world that other people want to be
part of. This world cannot be measured – at least not using figures, balances and
forecasts. But it can be felt if people want to join this world because they are
3.2 Leading with Your Head and Heart 129