Leadership is not a right!

The internationally persistent top-down approach to management will not suffice. It dampens the team spirit and discourages individual responsibility and agency – factors that are key to driving transformation.

So, how can we update leadership and spark a new ‘we’ spirit? For me, it's about putting one's own work at the service of a greater cause. There is actually a great word for this, coined by Lars Kolind und Jacob Bøtter: unbossing. I would interpret it this way:

Leadership is not a right. It's a privilege granted by your team. And it has to be earned on a daily basis.

This humble understanding of leadership is very important to me. It results in four core obligations:

1. Some believe in chasing short-term wins. However, in an “infinite game” – as Simon Sinek describes the business world – we need an “infinite mindset” to cope with the everchanging rules and players. Such a mindset requires us to focus on a purpose rather than short term profit. We need to find and work towards an inspirational purpose that contributes to society. That’s the job; not just the quarterly figures. In Audi's case, our goal is to shape the future of premium mobility. My job is to contribute to this purpose by inspiring my team and aligning our focus.

2. When we discuss organizational aspects, it’s all about establishing agile, flexible and human-centric structures. To do this, a leader must be responsive to the needs of the team, taking the different phases of employees' lives into account and promoting a team play based on trust. As a leader, you have to accept that sometimes there are more important things in the life of your employees than responding to an email immediately. 

3. Enablement isn't about picking individual favorites, it's about empowering entire teams to find their own way of developing meaningful solutions and unlocking the potential of many. However, this doesn't happen by itself. From the start, you have to make sure you build a diverse team. For instance, I make sure to have at least one member that brings a completely different perspective to the team. But it doesn’t stop there. As a leader you must continuously respect different cultures and provide a safe and inclusive space for a variety of ideas. Make sure every voice is heard and every identity is welcome. And if you notice employees are holding back, encourage them to speak up. Few things motivate people more than being recognized for their expertise or their opinion.

4. The Audi portfolio today is available in more than 100 countries worldwide. Being responsible for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Audi means: your home is where the markets are. Consequently, it is crucial to give the markets a strong voice and support them in their activities.

How? It is simple: listen. Leading a team means listening – not with the intent to reply, but to understand. Most of the successful people I know are the ones who do more listening than talking. 

5. Leadership is something you must learn, and you have to consistently keep up with it. Often people gain management responsibilities because they are very good in a certain area of expertise. But being an outstanding expert in your field doesn't necessarily teach you much about leadership. You have to upskill yourself. For example, experts are often paid to be the smartest people in the room; a leader should be the most attentive in the room. The smartest thing you can do as a leader is ask others for their opinion and let them challenge you.

That’s why my personal motto is #LLX – listen. learn. exchange. When I was appointed to the Executive Board, the first thing I did was meet with lots of employees, colleagues and Audi partners. These open talks were very valuable. And still now I regularly take part in "let's talk" sessions, where we discuss important topics for the future.

‘Unbossing’ leadership means understanding it as a service: towards the company, the brand, and the team worldwide. And it is this approach to management that shapes how I envision the future of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at both Audi and the Volkswagen Group.