Ways out: Exit Existence
Contents
Ways out: Exit Existence
Individually
Existence, human life, is dependent on the confrontation with the questions that arise (Where is my place in the world? What gives me hold? What do I want to become of myself? What am I aiming my life at? What do I want to be able to look back on? What am I for?), their answers and the associated development. There is no room for precisely this in the information society or the market society. What actually and essentially makes us individuals, with our own view of the world, is falling behind.
But to be able to see our lives as fulfilled, it is important to live a life that we have created ourselves. And not a life that submits to the market society. For this, it is necessary to look at our own temporality and finiteness and thus to recognise the possibilities of our own existence. But this also means confronting the fear of emptiness, nothingness; it is already there and accompanies us throughout our lives. But we can decide which opportunities that life offers us we choose. Courage, humility, insight, development, love, solidarity, connection, faith, hope, justice – there are many counterforces with which we can confront fear.
However, the scope for this is – finite. There is no way around dealing with it. But for this we need – space and time.
Organisational
At this point, the organisations (rather their leaders) are called upon to look at the limits of the people they employ to counteract the blurring of boundaries in their own structures. Progress cannot be stopped, especially digital progress. But it should serve people. Even in virtual contexts, it is possible to stop permanent transgressions of boundaries. In addition, even less would be helpful: less influence as an »influencer«, less management of emotions, less staging, less egalitarianism and less »kidnapping« of employees‹ feelings and needs. From an existential perspective, a return to the essentially functional mission of leadership is important. This consists of giving structure, support, and orientation to the organisation as a social system.
Four basic tasks can be described: 1. provide security (with a focus on organisation and information); 2. enable relationships (with a focus on relationships and participation); 3. promote personal responsibility (with a focus on performance and recognition) and 4. provide orientation (with a focus on values and meaning/goals).
For this to succeed, it is important to have a personal understanding of leadership, which means carrying out these basic tasks authentically, decisively and with a genuine interest in the employees.
