Angela Merkel, Germany's new chancellor quickly grows into a role model for international CEOs who seek a balance ...
between the charismatic hubris-prone leadership model of the past years and the sober unimpressive management activity of today. Here are some style elements to consider:
- Team: Merkel appears to operate with a smaller team than usual. Some experts' complaints remain unheard. Decision-making seems faster and there is less discussion afterwards. A decision made is a decision made, see the planned sales tax increase. Sebastian Borger of Rheinischer Merkur notes "that she's able to look at issues very carefully and very calmly, make up her mind and then stick to them, but at the same time she's obviously now able to work together with the Social-democrats."
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- Alliances: Whoever she is meeting with, she does it nicely and un-agitated. Be it George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin, Ehud Olmert, Jaques Chirac or Tony Blair. Merkel delivers her message unafraid and consistent. The US-based Christian Science Monitor describes her as an "independent partner of Russian president Vladimir Putin" who later demanded that Hamas recognize Israel.
- Content: The content of her presentations is described as relatively plain. The Financial Times writes about her presentation at February's World Economic Forum in Davos: "Merkel's message is simple - everything that seems wrong is indeed wrong, but we can overcome the problems with determination and imagination. She says that she doesn't yet know the answer, and even if she does she runs a coalition and may not be able to implement it." Imagine a CEO saying that.
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