(1) What I love about my current job is...
...that I get to encourage managers to question their work and thought patterns. Together, we design patterns and structures that enable strong and flexible teams to be successful and have fun doing so. I in particular help large corporations become more flexible in multiple areas in order to be and remain agile in these turbulent times.
(2) I’ve long been passionate about...
...how managers can prevent themselves and their organisation from reverting to old patterns whenever things get difficult.
...which working structures offer the best framework for teams to produce outstanding, innovative products and unlock their individual potential in the process.
(3) One of the highlights of my career so far has been...
...the publication of my eighth book “LEAD - Resiliente Organisationen durch einladende Führung” (resilient organisations through inclusive leadership), as it summarises my findings from research and projects over the last ten years. It was a highlight of my career to see the overarching patterns that connect the worlds of agility, resilience and transformation and that can strengthen organisations for the long term.
(4) When I look back on my career so far, I’d say that what has particularly shaped me has been...
...all the inexplicable things I’ve witnessed in the world of work: Managers who force you to do tasks you’d never voluntarily do. Employees who work themselves to the bone and end up burning out. Women who are not promoted or better paid, despite working extremely hard and achieving excellent results. All things everyone wants to change, but that never change in the long term. Even with all good intentions to do the opposite, in stressful situations, people often revert back to old patterns.
(5) People and career paths of others that encouraged me to take up my profession are…
...those who showed me that ever-more people are interested in science and scientific expertise in social media, podcasts and the press. Before Mai Thi Nguyen Kim, Kenza Ait Si Abbou and other women appeared in the media, I’d never have thought that my expertise would attract interest outside of specialistic conferences. Making my knowledge as a freelance consultant also understandable and applicable for the masses enables me to have the most inspiring, valuable discussions and exposes me to the most diverse perspectives.
(6) I’d advise any young women wishing to pursue a career similar to mine to...
...follow your passion. You can make a 180-degree turn at any point in your career and decide to do something else if you so wish. If you’re passionate about something and put your heart and soul into it, you’ll very quickly earn a reputation for it. The university offers a network that you can leverage to learn how to collaborate on topics to hone your skills and expertise. It’s a good basis, but you need to be able to contribute all the essentials yourself.
(7) I try to inspire young women for my discipline and passion(s) by...
...giving lots of talks and lectures at universities. I’m also always happy to give students interviews on artificial intelligence, agility, resilience and business transformation. I also like to supervise internships and theses. It’s important for more female role models to become visible, to give female students the courage to venture into these fields, because it’ll give them the confidence that many women have already successfully done so.
(8) I associate my time at Paderborn University with...
...a great community of students, excellent support from my professors and my initial successes in research and industrial projects. The fact that Professor Schöppner sent me to international conferences with my research findings very early on and that my articles were accepted for publication in renowned papers gave me a lot of confidence. Even today, I like to share my ideas with other experts at an early stage. We can only get constructive feedback – both positive and negative – if we let the world see our findings, rather than keeping them to ourselves. Only then can we grow and improve.
(9) For the next 50 years, I wish Paderborn University...
...to provide greater diversity in the courses its departments offer. And for students to have more flexibility to shape their degree in line with their passions, by choosing electives from a wide range of subject areas. I believe that it is more important than ever today for students to be able to think outside the box of their own subject.
