Cracking the leadership code that drives innovation through diversity and inclusion

June 27 02:20 2019
Cracking the leadership code that drives innovation through diversity and inclusion
“Leadership has nothing to do with hierarchy or seniority, titles, degrees or gender. Leadership cannot be acquired at schools or universities – it is a way of being.”
– Birgit L. Thumecke, CEO & Co-founder of Eventerprise.com

Switzerland, Zürich – June 26, 2019 – Birgit L. Thümecke, Eventerprise.com’s recently appointed CEO, is an experienced transformational leader and entrepreneur who drives innovation and growth through the power of analysis, creative thinking, and teamwork. She has been responsible for building, and leading successful teams on a global scale.

When asked to define what leadership means to her, Birgit responds, “It is a combination from a desire to take charge, lead people and a creative calling to (re)invent, shape, design, model, build, and innovate. Never resting or worse – ‘comfort zoning’, never reaching a final goal, always questioning, always inquisitive – to even being nosy at times – with a passion for lifelong learning and personal growth while building a following by inspiring others. In other words, building my own tribe. Any emphasis on a hierarchical order will rarely ever lead to followers who support their leader.

So what super powers, and energy sources can leaders draw upon to turn team members into followers?

Birgit defines some of her core learnings which have helped shape her into the tech leader she is today:

Have the courage of your own convictions

Those who want to achieve goals and take responsibility need the support of others. Good leaders inspire through convincing strategies and by immersing themselves in the world of others and convincing them from their own perspective. While doing so, leaders must always remain cognizant that opposing and subjective views will collide. As a result, everyone will try and convince others to change according to their own goals. The big “but” is the most effective persuasion usually only takes place in the reality of the person being persuaded. This is why leaders must develop in ways that help immerse them into the world’s of others and argue from their perspective.

Be aware that our experiences shape the way we view leadership

Leadership means different things to different people. It has to do with our own inherent belief systems, our encounters with whom we experienced as leaders in the early stages of our lives and which has therefore shaped our points of view today. If for instance we encountered domineering, manipulating and forceful characters early on, we might associate these attributes with leadership for the rest of our lives, with negative consequences and resulting in not wanting to ever lead ourselves or trust those we subconsciously assume to have ulterior motives. If on the other hand we were fortunate to have met people along the way who have inspired and mentored, they are seen as authentic role models, those who were prepared to take ownership and to speak up. Leadership in this instance has a very positive spin that translates to both opportunity and protection.So when taking the lead, it is important to remember why we chose to lead and who we are leading to fully understand an individual’s perception of leadership.

Manifest innovation through diversity

Once you’ve started building your team – and this is an ongoing process with many iterations – embrace diversity because diversity fuels innovation, and then build teams around inclusion. Coupled with strong leadership, the perspectives from different backgrounds and experiences are all crucial to creating environments that manifest and nurture innovation. They spur creative problem solving and present solutions which may be new to others. It can be very invigorating to be in someone else’s shoes and see things from their side, so opening up, broadening horizons are some of the most wonderful facets that diversity and inclusion can bring about.

Always fast track talent

Great leadership is about identifying and grooming talent. It’s important to encourage lateral, out-of-the-box thinkers, and not simply replica mini me’s. Those who might rock your boat are the ones you want on your team. It’s vital to remember to promote and fast track the hardest working and the most daring. Real leaders will promote those most deserving, even if one day they might become better leaders than yourself. Birgit stresses that even when warned against promoting people because of their desire to replace her, she went ahead and did it anyway, stressing that it also keep her on her toes. “Identifying potential and planning succession are core leadership tasks. In addition, I really enjoy competitive sparring, because it is perfectly natural and self regulating. It spurs personal growth.”

In closing, Birgit has collaborated with many great leaders throughout her career including  within her own family, like her parents and grandparents. Non-conformist, courageous people who believed in a cause, spoke their minds and did things their way. The aim was never to win popularity contests, rather being true to themselves. Birgit too followed a path, her path, full of adversity, obstacles and riddled with envy and resentment from others along the way, but she grew with every experience and is very grateful to have earned the right to pass on her story.

In Birgit’s view the most powerful sources of a true leader is that of the role model: “If you demand something from others then you must show that you too are capable in doing so yourself. That is when you become both credible and authentic.”

Birgit is an experienced strategist, entrepreneur and a campaigner for customer success. She promotes exponential growth where it matters most – our customers. With over 25 years of international experience in the technology and airline industries, and within multicultural environments, she has honed her skills to deliver outstanding commercial results in challenging operating environments. Tenures with British Airways as well as Lufthansa Aviation Group, where she headed complex operations including Lufthansa’s customer service division, directing a 1800 strong team spread across seven global locations.

Her recent win at the 15th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business in the Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Business Services category in November 2018 serves as a testament to Birgit’s principles.

Eventerprise AG

Eventerprise is a Swiss based global tech startup on a mission to connect the world of events. We do this by ensuring technology is accessible, inclusive and affordable across an underserved event market potential worth more than a staggering trillion dollars. Eventerprise makes it easier to create memorable experiences by helping everyone find the best vendors, venues and event professionals, all on one platform.

For more information, please contact:

Charlie Wright, Co-Founder Eventerprise

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +27 76 022 4476

www.eventerprise.com

https://www.eventerprise.com/page/press-room/

Media Contact
Company Name: Eventerprise
Contact Person: Charlie Wright
Email: Send Email
Phone: + 27 (76) 0224476
Country: South Africa
Website: www.eventerprise.com