The case for a more personal and different leadership
Contents
The case for a more personal and different leadership
But the opposite to me seems true: only leadership that understands itself in its own concerns and needs, in its existential fear, and keeps its composure in this, can now convey support, belonging, identity and orientation to others and address those in their freedom, their responsibility for the community and their dignity and encourage them in this. This requires an understanding of leadership that is ›personal‹, i.e., that creates authority and trust from within the self rather than from holding a position. Personal leadership requires those within organisations who now interpret their role themselves and, if necessary, also overstretch it – and in the end are prepared to bear the consequences for correct but systematically irregular behaviour.
The Covid 19 crisis dramatically highlights the organisational rationale for employee encouragement and empowerment. What is needed is intensive support for self‐responsibility, trust in employees, in their own motivational power and in the ability of employees to lead themselves. Convincing personal leadership in a crisis sees itself as a coordinator, mentor, sparring partner and coach. Convincing personal leadership in a crisis believes in the self‐motivation of its employees, radiates trust, grants freedom and consistently trusts in the honesty of professional expertise. These are the core elements of the distribution of competencies within those organisations that are now successfully managing high risks in Corona’s everyday life and coping with dynamic situations through acquired resilience.
