The term leadership is on everyone's lips and everyone seems to know what (good) leadership should look like. The psychologist Georg Marschner defines it as follows: “In psychology, leadership includes all measures taken by superiors that affect the cooperation, coordination and communication of all members of an organisation.

[…] Leadership is a method of motivating people to set goals and supporting them to achieving the goals for mutual success. To lead is to constantly support your employees.“

But how I, as a manager, organize this "constant support" depends very much on my image of leadership.

Do I believe that there is a "born leader" (trait approach)? Or do I see different leadership styles, such as authoritarian or cooperative, which managers need to develop and use (behavioural approach)

But I can also believe that as a manager I have to show the "right" or appropriate behavior (situational approach)?

Or is my main focus on the interactions between me as a manager and my employees (interaction approach).

But maybe I also have other stakeholders, such as suppliers, other departments or customers, and the resulting corporate culture and structures in mind (systemic approach).

And then when I look at my own career, there are the issues of power and micro-political action in today's organisational world.

For us, taking all these perspectives into account is the fine art of leadership. Broken down to practice, this means above all dealing with these 10 questions:

1. As a manager do I need a vision?

2. How much insight do I need as a team leader/head of department into corporate development?

3. How much home office or mobile working is necessary?

4. How important is a stay abroad for a further career development?

5. What is a no go in leadership?

6. How can I position my team well within the company?

7. How can I support employees in their development?

8. As a tram leader, I am still professionally involved. How can I focs more on leadership even if I don't have the time for it?

9. How do I deal with under performers?

10. How can I manage to accept employees who tick completely different than I do?