The term ‘feedback’ describes a mechanism in which the result of a process is fed back into the process itself in order to influence its future behaviour. These concepts were developed particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries when engineers and scientists were looking for ways to control systems such as machines or electrical circuits. This cybernetic feedback model was applied as a metaphor to human systems and has influenced thinking about performance improvement ever since. Today, feedback is used as a tool for coaching, continuous improvement and leadership development. This model sets clear, measurable goals, defines corrective actions and enables iterative improvement. It is based on a view that strongly resonates with the way we understand the human world - perhaps mirroring the logical, iterative processes we use in software development and systems management. While a feedback model based on cybernetics assumes a stable environment in which cause-and-effect chains are predictable and treats human development as just another system to be optimised, complex human interactions require a different approach. When dealing with intrinsic human qualities, emer
gent properties of non-linear processes and relationship dynamics, the model falls short.

Mrs F., head of department in an IT company, presents her plan for a strategic approach to a difficult negotiation, but colleague X brushes off her proposal in a harsh tone. Mrs F then flies off the handle and tells him off in front of the whole team. This is not the first time this has happened to her; she is considered unpredictable. As a result, hardly anyone dares to express their own opinion. This weakens the overall team performance. A fatal situation for Mrs F. in her role as a manager.

E-mails, digital meetings, LinkedIn messages - in today's working world, it is difficult or even impossible to escape the constant digital barrage. This is particularly true for managers, as they are subject to different requirements than employees. Being available until late in the evening or even at weekends is not uncommon, and the boundary between work and private life is often permeable. In addition, there is also a certain tendency towards self-exploitation: the great will to shape things in an often highly political environment, the enjoyment of power and responsibility and the pronounced work ethic, even to the point of self-endangerment, are just a few examples of this. For these reasons, resilience - and currently digital resilience in particular - is a critical aspect of leadership. This makes it all the more important that managers also pay attention to their own leadership, namely that of their own mental and emotional inner world. This is the key to being able to act with lasting resilience in the digital world of work.

The following chapter is an excerpt from the book “Coaching und seine Wurzeln” (Coaching and its Roots)

Leadership Choices became the first German coaching company to join the global B Corp movement in March 2024 - what's that all about?

Contrary to all attempts to flatten or even abolish hierarchies, they persist as an organizing principle in companies and corporations. Obviously, they fulfill an important function, regardless of whether they are imposed from above or developed informally through self-organization. Hierarchies seem to be indispensable to accomplish goals together with others. They fulfil not only an organizational but also a human need for order and orientation as well as the allocation of responsibility.

2024

March 2024

In March, our Managing Partner Karsten traveled to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, to kick off the cooperation between the Cosmikk Foundation and our new project partner, Future For Ukraine Foundation (FFU).  

Last week, on March 19, 2024, I traveled to the capital of Ukraine to kick off the cooperation between the Cosmikk-Foundation and our new project partner, Future For Ukraine Foundation (FFU).  The Cosmikk-Foundation, founded by my colleague Uwe Achterholt and myself, provides NGO leaders free access to high-quality coaching.  FFU provides prosthetics to wounded soldiers, psychological counseling to women who experienced sexual violence, and social support to children with mental health issues.

Olena, president of FFU, and I had met in Warsaw back in January of 2024. Our teams had been working on finalizing the agreements to work together for some months. When we first met, Olena had invited me to join the premiere of a documentary on their work in March, and we agreed to combine it with a signing ceremony to kick off our joint project. Here are some of my impressions from this trip that changed and widened many of my perspectives, brought me new friends and simply changed my life.

How It All Began
How do people manage to develop their full potential under the most difficult circumstances? And what can managers learn from these people? We have spent over a decade researching and working with countless managers to identify the individual factors that have a positive or negative impact on their crisis resilience. And we developed a scientifically sound procedure to measure the protective and risk factors, because skills can only be strengthened if they are recognized as relevant and if can be influenced. We are now in a position to present initial research data that provides exciting insights into the connection between crisis resilience and management careers.

Ensure a positive team atmosphere!