Recently, I attended the Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna for 2 days, where some of the most respected thinkers and senior leaders shared their view on “Next Era Leadership”. Among them were a.o.:
- Amy Edmondson: Harvard Professor and founder of ‘psychological safety’
- Michael Lurie: Chief Catalyst Officer at Bayer
- Niren Chaudhary: former CEO of Panera Brands
Their perspectives expanded my horizon and sparked new reflections on how leaders can thrive in today’s complexity. Here are 5 that stood out:
“When you press the pause button on a machine it stops. But when you press the pause button on a human beings they start”
- From VUCA to NAVI: We have moved beyond VUCA. Today’s world is Non-lineair, Accelerated, Volatile, and Interconnected. Leadership must now adapt to bursts, rather than trends, responding dynamically across multiple vectors.
- Purpose and Psychology: Strategy depends on 2 pillars; Purpose and Psychology. Purpose is about having a crystal clear Why, What and How. Psychology is about empowering yourself and others to make the purpose happen. Without both, strategy remains a slogan, rather than a system.
- Perform vs Transform: High performing organizations, the ones who outlast others, perform and transform at the same time. In other words, they deliver today (performance), while reinventing for tomorrow (transform).
- Artificial vs Human Intelligence: “When you press the pause button on a machine it stops. But when you press the pause button on a human beings they start.” Pause unlocks perspective. It allows leaders to rethink assumptions, reimagine possibilities, and reconnect with their deepest beliefs.
- Choose Learning over Knowing: Knowledge used to be power. Today, it’s a product. What distinguishes leaders now is not what they know, but how they learn, unlearn and re-learn; continuously, curiously, and courageously.
These insights reaffirmed a timeless truth: leadership in the next era is not about having answers—it is about creating the conditions where people can learn, act, and grow faster than the world around them.
With that in mind, here is my question to you:
Which of these five shifts will most transform the way you lead — and how will you act on it this week?
Recently, I attended the Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna for 2 days, where some of the most respected thinkers and senior leaders shared their view on “Next Era Leadership”. Among them were a.o.:
- Amy Edmondson: Harvard Professor and founder of ‘psychological safety’
- Michael Lurie: Chief Catalyst Officer at Bayer
- Niren Chaudhary: former CEO of Panera Brands
Their perspectives expanded my horizon and sparked new reflections on how leaders can thrive in today’s complexity. Here are 5 that stood out:
“When you press the pause button on a machine it stops. But when you press the pause button on a human beings they start”
- From VUCA to NAVI: We have moved beyond VUCA. Today’s world is Non-lineair, Accelerated, Volatile, and Interconnected. Leadership must now adapt to bursts, rather than trends, responding dynamically across multiple vectors.
- Purpose and Psychology: Strategy depends on 2 pillars; Purpose and Psychology. Purpose is about having a crystal clear Why, What and How. Psychology is about empowering yourself and others to make the purpose happen. Without both, strategy remains a slogan, rather than a system.
- Perform vs Transform: High performing organizations, the ones who outlast others, perform and transform at the same time. In other words, they deliver today (performance), while reinventing for tomorrow (transform).
- Artificial vs Human Intelligence: “When you press the pause button on a machine it stops. But when you press the pause button on a human beings they start.” Pause unlocks perspective. It allows leaders to rethink assumptions, reimagine possibilities, and reconnect with their deepest beliefs.
- Choose Learning over Knowing: Knowledge used to be power. Today, it’s a product. What distinguishes leaders now is not what they know, but how they learn, unlearn and re-learn; continuously, curiously, and courageously.
These insights reaffirmed a timeless truth: leadership in the next era is not about having answers—it is about creating the conditions where people can learn, act, and grow faster than the world around them.
With that in mind, here is my question to you:
Which of these five shifts will most transform the way you lead — and how will you act on it this week?
