Hanover on February 24, 2010. Margot Käßmann, then chairwoman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, takes the microphone. Four days after a nightly alcohol drive with a good 1.5 per thousand in my blood: “I hereby declare that I will resign from all my church offices with immediate effect.”
An admission, a withdrawal, a loss of power. But Margot Käßmann has not lost any of its authority, says Claudia Peus. In her research at the Technical University of Munich, the psychologist deals primarily with the topics of leadership and leadership development. And characteristics of good leadership and authority are to be authentic, to admit mistakes – as well as to be aware of one’s own values and to act accordingly.
Whoever gives up power can gain authority
“In addition to the office, it’s also about respect and esteem for myself and my straightforwardness, which means a lot to me,” Käßmann explained at the time. “In the future, I would no longer have the freedom to name and assess ethical and political challenges as I had.”
Hans-Joachim Sander, Catholic theologian at the University of Salzburg, puts it this way: Whoever gives up power can possibly gain authority through this. His definition: “Power is enforcement. Power is the ability to force others to discipline themselves into doing what you think they should do. Authority is an authorization process to others. … Authority is the authorization of others to solve problems that they are not able to solve on their own. That means: authority arises over others, power by keeping others small. “
John XXIII: The infallible Pope gives up power
Sander is thinking of Pope John XXIII. To the Pope who convened the Second Vatican Council in December 1961. At the time, many believed that the Pope was endowed with infallibility and could solve any problem immediately, the theologian said. “And he says: I need a general council – we would say today that maybe the bishops can no longer do it alone today, but we need another assembly, another authority process to solve problems of faith”
Will Pope Francis achieve something similar? As much as the dogmatics professor appreciates Francis for his clear words in world politics, he is skeptical about the Pope’s position within the Catholic Church. “The last few years have been a disappointment within the church,” said Sander. Because Francis did not tackle or even enforce what he had repeatedly warned. Despite his position of power. A problem for the current Pope’s authority, according to the Catholic theologian.
“Pope Francis doesn’t dare to change things”
Sander explains that he is in the position to change things and does not dare to approach it: “So there is a decline in authority. But: Authority is a fragile good: You don’t just have it, but someone has to have something to say with which someone other things can begin to solve problems. And we haven’t heard much from the Pope in recent years. “
Power and authority: this is a huge issue in the Catholic Church, says Sander. And possibly one of the reasons why many Catholics have turned their backs on their church in recent years: The hierarchical construct of Catholicism primarily demonstrates power.
A boss in power is not successful in the medium term
Stephan Teuber from Tübingen is someone who has a lot of experience with leadership: He runs a supraregional company in the field of rehab sports. At the same time he is a coach and head of a consulting firm specializing in executives. And: Teuber is a volunteer member of the extended board of the Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs. His first thought on the question of power and authority:
“When it comes to power, I have to disappoint you. Because you don’t have it. Employees can quit and leave immediately. A company has to be attractive to be involved.” Entrepreneur Stephan Teuber
For Stephan Teuber, the concept of power is a question of how we see ourselves and he wouldn’t be a good manager if he didn’t also have the company’s success in mind. The consultant explains that a boss who exercises his leadership only through power will not be successful in the medium term: “If I want to work with employees who are talented, who want to fully contribute, then I have no chance to work through power.”
Leadership means empowering employees
He is convinced that leaders with authority are in demand and successful. So people who have earned a reputation. Personalities who use their knowledge and power to influence their employees. Not in the sense of manipulating them. Rather, it is about empowering and strengthening employees. To support you more as an advisor than as a decision-maker.
An understanding of leadership that has not yet arrived everywhere, says Teuber. It is now more widespread in medium-sized companies than in large corporations, which are often strictly hierarchical. Power still plays a role there. But the so-called Generation Y has achieved that many managers are now rethinking: “They asks which employer fits my purpose in my life. And in the” war of talents “, the fight for employees, it becomes clear that power alone no longer attracts talented young employees into the companies. “
That doesn’t mean that leaders don’t have to speak a word of power or make unpopular decisions. But then it must also become clear which decision one consciously wants to make against resistance, says Teuber. “And I take the risk. I cannot then delegate the blame to the employees.”
The term “human resources” does not do justice to people
It is entrepreneurial calculation, but not only what Stephan Teuber brought to his handling of power, to his definition of good leadership. As a devout Catholic, he says, he is guided by the Christian image of man. In a way, the gospel is a kind of authority for him. That’s why he doesn’t like the designation of employees in many companies. There is often talk of HR – of human resources.
An objectification that does not do justice to people: “An employee is a creature, an image of God with his own talents and his life mission. I always speak with an image of God. And that also helps in a criticism and a warning conversation. That it always about the behavior and not about the person of the employee. ”
Good leadership work: authentic living of your own values
Values: an authentic life of your own values - that’s what good leadership is all about. Claudia Peus is convinced of that. She conducts research at the Technical University of Munich in the area of executive development. Establishing values is now one of the central contents of the relevant training courses. Managers can thus gain authority – especially when it comes to making decisions in conflict situations and taking employees along:
“It is relatively easy to govern in safe times. The quality of a government is often only revealed in emergency situations and crises.” Ex-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt
This man – ex-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt – occurs to Claudia Peus – as someone who was able to manage crises and at the same time enjoyed a lot of trust, who exuded authority. Because of or despite his edgy manner, they believed “that he stands for his values, that he is ready to take risks … when the RAF issue was virulent, he made an agreement with his wife that if one of them is kidnapped, the FRG does not pay a ransom. “
Decline in values among executives? On the contrary!
And those are the things that make a leader appear authentic and gain authority, explains Peus. She believes that there are more personalities with real authority than it may first appear. She does not see a “decline in values”.
On the contrary. Right now, in the Corona crisis, she is experiencing executives in her seminars who are thinking more than before about what they actually stand for: “The last few months have shown the value of solidarity and family more strongly. And through the many video conferences and that Home office led to the fact that employees and managers were perceived more as human beings. “
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