Hierarchy, delegating tasks, issuing orders and instructions – these are aspects of an outdated leadership style. Those who defend it in the here and now are bound to fail. But why is that? For decades, that way of doing things has proven successful. And it was continually improved and perfected. However: the context of leadership has changed. Digitalization keeps changing business models on a daily basis – and fundamentally at that. The executives of our day are unable to simply apply their outmoded formulas for success and observe their correct implementation. All of a sudden, everyone is required to think for themselves and to participate in order to fortify the enterprise to make it able to withstand the digital tornado.

Evidence for the necessity of a new style of leadership and cooperation can be found in the media’s business sections every day. The bosses of the olden days have become obsolete. The majority of contemporary executives, however, still acts by employing commands, control and correction. They work with pressure. But if the team acts through the fear of not being able to deliver the desired (yet impossible) results, it reverts to tricks. A company culture that inspires its employees – the prerequisite for innovation per se – cannot blossom under these circumstances. And many enterprises are headed towards the abyss with open eyes. The sport enthusiast and economics expert Wolfgang Jenewein knows how to make individual talents shine, how to create a fulfilling cooperation and how not to lose sight of the bigger picture in order to master the challenge of digitalization.