From an interview with Christian Greiser at the event “Bridges over Toubled Waters” in Berlin, 28 August 2024

We live in an era of intense change. We are facing simultaneous waves of ecological, technological, social and geographical shifts. Otto Scharmer, a professor at MIT, has described these challenges as three divides.

1. The divide between ourselves and nature
2. The divide between ourselves and others
3. The divide within ourselves

True leadership is about bridging these divides and restoring harmony.

Harmony with the Earth, harmony with each other and harmony within ourselves. Technology, in particular artificial intelligence, certainly offers remarkable solutions and tools. Still, it cannot replace what is uniquely human in leadership, and we need leaders who can inspire others, bring a sense of purpose to people, and care about the aspirations of others. So, what does it mean to be a human leader? Martin Luther King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” And this, to me, is the essence of human leadership. It’s not about being in the spotlight. It’s about shining your light on others. It’s about service. This departs from more conventional definitions of leadership, typically rooted in authority, power and status. Leaders today, facing or confronted with complex challenges, need much more than just strategic thinking or technical expertise. Yes, they need to be rational, logical, and able to forecast, but they also need to be empathetic. They must be grounded and attuned to the more subtle aspects of leadership, such as mindfulness or deep listening and the ability to tap into higher levels of insight and creativity. Based on my experience, authentic leadership emerges when leaders bring a sense of service, mission and purpose to their work. In my experience as a coach working with leaders.

There are three critical levels of leadership mastery:

1. Leading yourself
2. Leading others
3. Leading large-scale change

Leading yourself is both the most difficult and the most important.
As the ancient inscription on the Temple of Delphi advised: Know thyself. Many leaders now strive to understand themselves, even in essential leadership positions. It is vital to be self-aware because, without self-awareness, it’s impossible to lead others and drive meaningful change. So, how can leaders learn to lead themselves? It starts with reconnecting to your authentic self. It is about self-reflection. Cultivating self-awareness is the ability to truly understand one’s moods, goals, values, and emotions and how these influence one’s behaviour. Leaders need to create space for self-reflection. Methods like mindfulness and meditation can be invaluable tools in this respect. When a friend and I started a mindfulness initiative at BCG, it was just the two of us, to begin with, but it grew to more than 1000 during the pandemic. That highlights the significant interest and the importance of these practices.

Leading others is deeply connected to empathy.
Research shows that effective leadership hinges on understanding and caring about the feelings of others, but it’s also about integrating one’s own experiences and emotions. I feel spiritual insights into your leadership style, and by doing so, fostering authenticity and trust. I will share a brief example. I recently worked for a large professional services forum that is facing high employee turnover, mainly among younger employees. Surprisingly, the reason was not about salary or promotions. The issue was a lack of appreciation for their work. This example highlights how vital it is for leaders to ensure that people feel valued.

Leading change is about learning to ask the right questions.
Leading change at a time when we face complex and systemic problems requires a shift from thinking that you need to know all the answers to learning to ask the right questions. One person’s brilliance alone cannot solve adaptive challenges like climate change or geopolitical tensions. Leaders need to draw on collective intelligence, empower others and motivate them to develop creative solutions, which requires a mindset shift, a movement towards what some people call the “Don’t-know-mind”, where leaders open up to new possibilities instead of being fixed on specific solutions. Once again, mindfulness can play an essential role in making this happen and cultivating this new mindset. A study published in Forbes magazine found that mindfulness programs can significantly boost the company’s collective intelligence. In my work with leaders, I’m increasingly encouraged by the growing number of companies and leaders awakening to the importance of both people and the planet. I feel that more and more leaders are willing to take the journey toward human leadership, and they are shifting their focus from “I, Me and Mine” to “We”. They are changing their leadership style from classic leading to serving and some even to healing. Nicholas Janni has a beautiful book called “Leaders Healer” (www.nicholasjanni.com/leader-as-healer). All this gives me great optimism for the future.

Christian Greiser is a recognised expert in leadership development. He has 30 years of professional experience and states: “Our inner attitude determines how we perceive the world around us, how we react to it, and how we evaluate it. It therefore acts as a filter through which we interact with the world. For managers, the inner attitude can shine through in different situations.” www.greiseradvisory.com