09.09.2025
‘Bad times create strong people; strong people create good times. Good times create weak people; weak people create bad times.’ This quote from G. Michael Hopf describes the cycle we are subject to. Where do we stand now – after 80 years of peace in Europe and constant economic growth? ‘One should...’ is a phrase often heard, but “one” is just optimising one's work-life balance. ‘One’ sits in government, but not to create the best for the citizens, but to collect fees and attendance allowances without doing much work. ‘One’ also sits in leadership positions, but ‘one’ just doesn't like it, doesn't really know how, doesn't feel like it or is too busy – or too comfortable. So once again, we have to do it on our own. Without “one”. ‘One’ has simply become weak in the good times.
In bad times – both in the microcosm and the macrocosm – we are called upon to act. Unfortunately, this is precisely when we have become weak after good times. The ‘good’ thing about bad times is that we (have to) focus on the essentials again. But just as this is not the first time the climate has warmed, people have also weathered many difficult times before. When the going gets really tough, we have a few tools to help us: optimism, emotional intelligence and resilience (2,000 years ago, they were called faith, love and hope – that was before the influence of the Americans). Our leadership tools are geared towards control – they originate largely from the military environment. Our economy is geared towards growth – this has brought us prosperity (and stress). Our governments are geared towards distributing money. They waste hard-earned funds and, on top of that, millions that do not even exist. Politicians are focused on raising their profile – they argue instead of shaping the future. And us? We whine and complain, but often don't do much either. We need new methods, new processes – but above all, a new way of thinking and acting.
