by Iris Burner | Jun 28, 2023 | Digital Transformation, Leadership Impact, Leadership in the digital transformation |
Sustainable individualization in leadership – pious hope or real alternative?
In line with the last blog post on our MDI website “Inner Development Goals For a Better Leadership World“, this time we dedicate ourselves to the megatrend topic of individualization and the connection with the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) towards sustainable leadership.
Individualization instead of multi-module programs
The status quo often shows that companies rely on multi-module programs to develop and train their executives. Depending on the target group, these programs provide a broad general basis of tools and methods – a so-called “toolbox” from which the appropriate tool can be selected according to the situation.
In times of ever scarcer resources (keywords: time and knowledge, cost efficiency and environment) and living realities in climate change, however, one topic is increasingly coming to the fore in the education and training of our future shapers of tomorrow: individualization.
Individualization – one of the 12 megatrends
Individualization was presented by the Zukunftsinstitut 2023 as one of the 12 megatrends. These megatrends are the central trends of our time. They are the biggest drivers of change in business and society and shape our future – not just in the short term, but in the medium to long term. Megatrends unfold their dynamics over decades.
IDGs & SDGs 2030
This time horizon may seem long, especially considering the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), which are based on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. This deadline means that the implementation of this megatrend can no longer be delayed.
But when we think of Sustainable Development Goals, can we give individualization any room at all? Doesn’t individualization always consume considerably more resources than a collective measure?
Sustainability vs. Individualization – Dealbreaker or Complement?
Sustainability and individualization have an interesting interaction with IDGs. On the one hand, individualization can be seen as a potential challenge to sustainability, as it may require more resources and lead to fragmentation of actions. If individualized programs are developed for each leader or individual, this can add time and cost and may be inefficient.
On the other hand, individualization also offers opportunities for sustainability. By enabling people to consider their interests, strengths, and needs, tailored development and education can take place. When leaders are supported in their development processes and have the opportunity to leverage their strengths, they can develop more effective leadership approaches that are also aligned with sustainability goals.
Promoting Individual Strengths and Creating Sustainability for Leaders and Organizations
IDGs are leveraging the megatrend of individualization to promote personal development and inner growth. By focusing on individual needs and goals, they enable people to realize their full potential and shape their own growth. This also includes the development of leadership competencies required for the sustainable transformation of organizations and societies.
Sustainable individualization in leadership thus means reconciling individual development and sustainability goals. This requires careful planning and design of educational activities to address both individual needs and sustainability issues. It is about fostering individual strengths while creating a common foundation for sustainable leadership.
Transfer to practice – 3 concrete approaches
What concrete measures can companies now take to initiate a sustainable and individualized leadership era?
1. IDG potential analysis
As a possible tool, the IDG potential analysis, for example, can provide an initial basic assessment. The basis of this analysis is a questionnaire based on the five IDGs (Being, Thinking, Relating, Collaborating, and Acting). By evaluating the analysis, the leader receives a self-assessment and finds out where they stand on the company values.
The results of the analysis serve as a basis for targeted measures to promote personal and professional growth in line with the IDGs and are particularly suitable for organizational and personnel development, leadership, team development, and change processes.
2. Team workshops with team profiles
In order to validate the self-assessment, there is also the possibility to get an external assessment from a colleague. Based on this, there is the possibility to conduct team workshops with team profiles to strengthen cooperation regarding the IDGs.
3. Mentoring program
Another way to put these findings into practice is to implement a mentoring program. This program supports leaders in realizing their individual goals and needs and integrating sustainability-oriented approaches into their leadership practice.
Executives are paired individually with an experienced mentor to foster their personal development and leadership skills. Thus, individual leaders’ needs and goals are addressed by assigning them a mentor who has experience and expertise in the specific areas the leader wants to work on.
The mentoring relationship allows executives to identify their individual strengths and weaknesses and work on them specifically. At the same time, the mentor and mentee are in a two-way exchange on a variety of topics, allowing them to learn from and with each other. This helps the leaders to integrate sustainability-oriented approaches into their leadership practice and to drive positive change in their organizations.
Ultimately, IDGs and customization can help create a new generation of leaders who are both personally fulfilled and focused on sustainable change. By addressing the individual needs and potential of each individual, IDGs can pave the way for sustainable and individualized leadership that can have a positive impact on organizations, society, and the environment.
Commitment MDI – We support leaders who strive for a better world
As an official partner of the Inner Development Goals (IDG), we are actively engaged in collaborating with other stakeholders, organizations, and individuals to advance the integration of transformational sustainable development skills into our leadership development. Our goal is to facilitate dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration to advance the SDGs agenda.
Learning & Development Consultant
Since 2022, Iris has been an L&D Consultant at MDI, supporting leaders and organisations worldwide in personal development and creating tailored training programs. She values the personal learning experience and ensures clients benefit from valuable insights. With a background in adult education and professional experience in a renowned corporation, Iris has a comprehensive understanding of company needs and develops customized solutions for sustainable development and growth.
This could also help you:
by Gunther Fürstberger | 12. February 2025 | Digital Transformation, Leadership and AI, Leadership Tips | 0 Comments
AI transformation: how companies and leaders need to adapt Economic history repeatedly shows how technological leaps revolutionize entire industries. 150 years ago, sailing ships dominated world trade, while steamships were only used on lakes and rivers. But within 30...
by ARS Academy, MDI | 5. February 2025 | Best Practice, Leadership and AI, Leadership Tips | 0 Comments
No Success without Diversity: Why it Matters Do you prefer to listen to this article? Click below to access our AI-generated audio version! No Success without Diversity: Why it Matters The world of work is facing major challenges – from economic uncertainty and the...
by Marcin Swierkocki | 14. January 2025 | Agile Leadership, Leadership Tips, Short Knowledge Bits | 0 Comments
Mastering Communication: The Why, How, and What Do you prefer to listen to this article? Click below to access our AI-generated audio version!Mastering Communication: The Why, How, and What Have you ever heard an employee say something like, "I won't be able to meet...
by Meike Hinnenberg | 17. December 2024 | Best Practice, Leadership Tips, Short Knowledge Bits | 0 Comments
Self-Leadership: Harnessing the Power Within Do you prefer to listen to this article? Click below to access our AI-generated audio version!Self-Leadership: Harnessing the Power Within In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable world, we often lack control over external...
by Marcin Swierkocki | 9. December 2024 | Leadership Tips, MDI Inside, Training Insights | 0 Comments
The Right Questions at The Right Time – Thinking From Within! Do you prefer to listen to this article? Click below to access our AI-generated audio version!The Right Questions at the Right Time – Thinking From Within! It is not easy to find oneself in a world based on...
by Gunther Fürstberger | 31. October 2024 | Best Practice, Leadership and AI, MDI Inside | 0 Comments
Efficiency with AI in Leadership Development Do you prefer to listen to this article? Click below to access our AI-generated audio version!Efficiency with AI in Leadership Development Perhaps the first AI hype is already over, but it paves the way for a more realistic...
by Marina Begic | 31. October 2024 | Best Practice, Digital Transformation, Leadership and AI | 0 Comments
Step by Step to Success with AI-supported Solutions Do you prefer to listen to this article? Click below to access our AI-generated audio version!Step by Step to Success with AI-supported Solutions A successful AI transformation in human resources development does not...
by Guest author | Dec 10, 2020 | Leadership Impact |
In the past five years, there has been an enormous increase in interest in purpose driven leadership. For many business experts and consultants, including our purpose expert Regina Rosenstatter, purpose driven leadership is the key to more success and satisfaction for companies, leaders and employees.
Why it is even more important to talk about Purpose in times of crisis
The current COVID crisis has made life even more challenging for both companies and their employees. The topic of self-leadership is currently in high demand. Evaluate your own leadership mission, your own leadership approach and be clear about what form of leadership is effective for your company.
Central questions are how to maintain the relationship with your team and individual team members in the virtual world and how to maintain the work performance and motivation over a prolonged period without physical contact. The challenge for managers is not primary to control goals, but rather to be able to maintain a sense of belonging in the team and to the company despite the distance.
And this is exactly where a common why, a common purpose – a common goal – can be more important than ever. Pulling on one string, knowing what each person can specifically contribute.
That is why companies and leaders need a very clear understanding of why they do what they do. A crystal-clear formulation of this. Because only this common goal – a common purpose – creates a bond and maintains the relationship.
Especially in difficult times, purpose functions as an ” inner compass” and can give hope and courage to leaders and employees.
(more…)
by Gunther Fürstberger | Nov 24, 2020 | International leadership development, Leadership Tips, MDI Inside |
The mission of MDI is to support leaders who strive for a better world.
Investing in leadership development and unlocking the development potential of leaders guarantees companies long-term benefits. Furthermore, they promote creative solutions in innovative change processes.
Therefore, with this article, we make MDI’s view of modern leadership even more transparent.
CEO | MDI Management Development International
Gunther Fürstberger is a management trainer, author and CEO of Metaforum and MDI – a global consulting company providing solutions for leadership development. His main interest is to make the world a better place through excellent leadership. He has worked for clients including ABB, Abbvie, Boehringer Ingelheim, DHL, Hornbach, PWC and Swarovski. His core competence is leadership in digital transformation. He gained his own leadership experience as HR Manager of McDonald’s Central Europe/Central Asia. At the age of 20 he already started working as a trainer.
1. Modern Leadership is aimed at improvement
- Leadership provides a definition of meaning.
- Leadership creates, develops and completes.
- Usually a status quo can be transferred into a better future, sometimes maintaining a good status quo is a leadership task.
- Leaders are disruption surfers: they are aware of the changes in their environment and choose the right disruption waves to ride.
2. Modern Leadership deals responsibly with resources
- The goal is a circular economy and no longer unlimited growth.
- Leadership always considers the consequences of its actions for people and ecosystems.
- A responsible manager strives to leave the world better than he found it.
3. Modern Leadership restrains itself
- Only as much leadership as necessary.
- Hierarchy is still needed, e.g. if the employee has little experience, if there is manager liability, if personal and organisational goals are contradictory.
- Leadership goes in both directions, employees also lead their managers.
- By exercising restraint, leadership creates an environment in which everyone is happy to contribute their own strengths and concerns.
- Leadership aims at the self-management of the people entrusted to it.
4. Modern Leadership is as cooperative as possible
- Leadership does not see employees as subordinates, but as partners at eye level.
- Leadership is based on agreements
- Leadership tries to win over the commitment of employees for concerns and thus builds more on intrinsic than extrinsic motivation.
- Just as companies are paid for services by their customers, employees are paid more and more for agreed and achieved results and less on the basis of working hours.
5. Modern leadership serves the system
- The Leader is more concerned with the collective good than with the individual good.
- Leadership supports learning.
- Leaders continue to learn on their own (When was the last time I did something for the first time?).
- Leadership develops the potential of employees.
- Leadership makes itself aware of the effects of its own actions and interactions in the system.
- Leadership ensures that decisions are made on the basis of short- and long-term considerations.
Home office accelerates the overall trend from hierarchical to lateral management.
But what exactly is changing in lateral management?
What are the benefits of the OKR method and how does it work exactly? MDI trainer and OKR master Susanne Spath gives us an introduction and a story to visualize the OKR method.
Read article
There are plenty of agile methods – but what are the benefits of each method? MDI trainer Alexandra Sock talks about her agile leadership seminar, which gives you an overview of different agile methods.
Read article
Scrum is one of the oldest agile methods and is the mother of all agile methods in many people’s opinion. Susanne Spath is OKR master and Scrum certified gives us an introduction to this method and tells us for whom it makes sense to implement Scrum.
Read article
