What are the characteristics and behaviors of successful leaders? At troodi we have identified six leadership principles that we believe are particularly important in the context of New Work.
1. Handing over responsibility
New Work means that each individual takes on responsibility. This means that as a manager, the first and most important step is to learn to hand over responsibility for tasks and processes to your team. Sounds logical, but it is not always easy. It takes trust and courage. But simply handing over responsibility is not enough. It is just as important to establish decision-making structures that make it easy for employees to take responsibility for the company.
2. Focus on people
Leadership in New Work means a shift from being responsible for the content to coaching your employees: The focus is on empowering your team members, being available to them as a sparring partner and creating the framework conditions in which your team can be successful. Leaders in the New Work context should interact with their employees in a physiologically skilled way and challenge and encourage their individual potential. The “soft factors” of leadership are therefore increasingly important.
3. Defining a purpose
The core idea of New Work is to do what you really, really want (Frithjof Bergmann). Consequently, it is a central task of the leader to communicate the meaning and purpose of the team’s activities. This applies on a large scale as well as on a small scale: As a leader, you are the first ambassador for the purpose of your organization and a role model for the values of your organization. Furthermore, it is your responsibility to identify concrete goals from the corporate vision for your team and to bring them to life together with your team.
 4. Embrace Change
In times of disruptive change, nothing is as constant as change. Thus, leaders need a high degree of change intelligence. It is not enough to accompany or steer change. It is essential to have a mindset that accepts change as an opportunity for continuous improvement of the organization and to bring this perspective of a positive attitude towards change into the organization.
5. Desire for development
In order to live change, change needs to happen within yourself. Reflecting on your own leadership actions and the desire for personal development are central qualities in New Work. As a leader, this desire for development applies not only to you, but also to your team and the whole organization. How can you make your employees, your team, and your organization a little bit better every day?
6. Encourage collaboration & communication
As a leader in New Work, it is a central task to facilitate communication and collaboration within the team and across different teams. You are no longer the sole decision-maker, but a facilitator of internal and external communication. You are a coach, mediator, and obstacle-clearer all in one.
These six principles only highlight one part of the various demands a leader faces and each person has to find his or her individual leadership style. However, it should be noted that a leader in New Work acts primarily as a servant leader who serves the team. They bear less responsibility for tasks and focus on people and their interactions. Thus, leadership in New Work does neither become less important nor disappear altogether, but rather shifts its focus and becomes more significant and demanding in many facets.
Would you like to learn more about the concept of New Work? At troodi, we offer a learning program to help you do just that. Our New Work expert Julian Wonner will guide you through the individual chapters. Here’s what you can take away from the learning program:
- Definition and origin of the term New Work
- Reflection on your own purpose
- Designing teamwork at eye level
- Alternative team and organizational structures
- Framework conditions for the implementation of New Work
You can watch a trailer of the learning program here.
You can also create a free trial account or contact us by email or phone if you have further questions.
