When everything is loud, silence becomes a luxury. When everyone fights for visibility, invisibility becomes a superpower. Welcome to the era of the attention economy – a system in which the winner is no longer the one who truly has something to say, but the one who shouts the loudest, stages themselves best, or feeds the smartest algorithm. But what if we stopped playing this game? What if we stopped constantly pushing forward, hammering our opinions into every discourse, and prostituting ourselves for every like? What if there were a smarter strategy – that of conscious retreat?
There are certain terms that suddenly pop up everywhere, as if someone in the business buzzword lab has brewed a new trend elixir. "Psychological Safety" is one of those. Sounds promising, right? A bit like a warm cup of cocoa in the executive suite, a seatbelt for fragile egos, a world where no one hides behind the cupboard before a feedback meeting.
But wait a minute – haven’t we heard all of this before? Isn’t there a familiar ring to it? Wasn't "mistake culture" the big thing just recently? So, is psychological safety just a rebranded version of an old classic? A "Greatest Hits Album" of corporate consulting? Or is there more to it?
Jordan Peterson*, a Canadian psychologist and author, once said: “If you wrap people in cotton wool, if you protect them from everything sharp, you make them sluggish and narcissistic.”
A harsh statement. But one that holds an uncomfortable truth. If we shield each other too much, if we always soften our words, protect others from conflict, and avoid saying anything critical—are we really doing it to protect THEM? Or are we, in reality, primarily protecting OURSELVES?
Communication is not a decorative element; it is the foundation of good leadership. Leading without clear communication is like trying to conduct an orchestra while throwing the sheet music into the air and hoping the musicians “somehow get in sync.” But what defines excellent communication in leadership? For that, we need an image. Not a rigid model with triangles and circles – but something alive, adaptable, and multifaceted. Something that continuously rearranges itself with every turn and yet always remains harmonious. A kaleidoscope.
Has stress always existed? Or is it a modern invention, introduced alongside eight-lane highways and 24/7 connectivity? Stress is not inherently evil. There is good stress – the kind that drives us, challenges us, and pushes our brains into high gear. Keyword: Eustress. That adrenaline rush you feel before an exciting presentation, during a sports competition, or when diving headfirst into a cool, thrilling adventure.
Imagine someone asks you today to give a keynote speech in six months, help friends move, participate in a project, or accept a dinner invitation from distant acquaintances. You glance at your calendar, see all those empty weeks, and think, “Sure, why not? There’s plenty of time until then.” Welcome to the trap of Plotz’s Law - a brilliant perspective on time and priorities with his simple yet profound “law”: If you can’t honestly say yes to something for tomorrow, you shouldn’t agree to it for the distant future either. Sounds harsh? It’s not. It’s an act of self-care.
A curious, concerned, and pragmatic look at Trump's "Stargate Project" reveals both opportunities and risks, while raising the question of whether we Europeans should finally "get moving." Yet while we must avoid falling for his PR maneuvers, we must also not stumble into the trap of our own ignorance or arrogance. Let’s proceed step by step through the questions that might awaken us and push us forward. 25 questions about the Stargate Project - here we go.
The modern world around us is turbulent, challenging, and sometimes downright exhausting. Changes happen faster than we can process them, and the uncertainties that come with them can weigh us down. Whether it's professional crises, personal challenges, or the small moments of everyday chaos, we all need one essential ingredient to not just “survive” but to truly thrive in these times. And that ingredient is resilience. Resilience is more than just endurance. It’s the art of bouncing back from setbacks, growing stronger, and staying flexible at the same time. It’s like an invisible muscle that we can train—with the right tools and a conscious focus on ourselves.
Change vs. Growth: “Classic success” has an image problem. For decades, it was measured in symbols of ascent – higher, faster, further. Growth was the holy grail. Yet this grail increasingly resembles a gilded cage, a relic of eras gone by when resources seemed endless and the planet was viewed as an indestructible backyard for our ambitions. The mantra of “more, more, more” has plunged us not only into a climate crisis but also into an identity crisis. Perhaps it’s time to redefine success: not as infinite growth, but as courageous adaptation to what is.
You’re sitting in a large, open-plan office. To your left, someone is typing on their keyboard with the passion of a heavy metal drummer. To your right, a phone rings with the latest summer hit. A colleague waves at you: “Do you have a minute…?” And just as you try to gather your thoughts again, your phone lights up: three new emails, two Slack messages, one WhatsApp ping. Welcome to the modern workplace. Welcome to chaos. Focus? Concentration? Innovation? Nowhere to be found.
It’s like trying to compose a masterpiece while a rock band rehearses around you. The truth is: Our shiny new New Work-inspired workplaces are anything but deep work-friendly. And that’s precisely the problem.
AI avatars are pure science fiction myth come true. Except now, they’re reality. They can lead trainings, present products, or onboard colleagues—without ever getting tired, irritated, or unfriendly. The benefits? Time savings, efficiency, and the charm of innovation. Imagine being in multiple places simultaneously: your avatar moderates a webinar in Berlin while you lead a workshop in Hamburg. Kind of sexy, right?
But it’s not just about productivity. Let’s think bigger: what if your avatar could deliver personal messages? Birthday greetings with your voice and expressions, even when you’re traveling. The possibilities are almost endless, and that’s what makes it so fascinating—and yes, a little spooky and unsettling.
You know the drill: You sit down to tackle a task, feel like you have endless time, and somehow—or maybe precisely because of that—you stretch it out like an old piece of chewing gum. And then there are those other moments when the deadline is breathing down your neck, and suddenly you’re hitting superhuman productivity levels. Welcome to the universe of Parkinson’s Law (see sidebar for details). This "law" states: Work expands to fill the time available for its completion. But how can we harness this effect for our own benefit?
Have you ever heard the story of the crabs in a bucket? It goes like this: A fisherman catches crabs and throws them into an open bucket. He doesn’t put a lid on it. Why? Because he knows that every time one crab tries to climb out, the others pull it back down. There’s no need to worry about escape—the group ensures that everyone stays put.
This isn’t just a fascinating natural phenomenon; it’s also a perfect metaphor for peer pressure, fear of change, and the dynamics in many social groups. Anyone who dares to rise above the crowd, boldly try something new, or leave old patterns behind often faces resistance.
In early January, Mark Zuckerberg announced a decision that could shake and potentially destroy the very foundations of the internet: Meta is ending its collaboration with fact-checkers. It is a raised middle finger to global corporate and societal responsibility. Content moderation on platforms like Facebook and Instagram will henceforth rely solely on automated deletions for serious rule violations. A task previously handled by humans is now being replaced by a system that raises more questions than it answers.
This time, we’re diving into an intriguing question and challenge: “What do I do when I feel motivated, but my colleagues are completely resistant?”
Oh yes, that can be incredibly frustrating – you’re brimming with motivation, ready to go, and yet you’re faced with colleagues who seem to be hitting the brakes. This presents two challenges: first, maintaining your own motivation, and second, understanding and maybe even alleviating their resistance. Here are a few ideas on how to approach this: