Building blocks for leadership in the age of New Work

Netzwoche — 22 March 2024

SwissICT once again hosted the Working Worlds Conference in Zurich on March 21. This time, the focus was on the topics of emotion, self-organization and leadership in the modern working environment.

The SwissICT Working Worlds Conference focused on leadership in the context of “New Work”. Prof Dr. Jochen Menges, Director of the Center for Leadership in the Future of Work at the University of Zurich, discussed the role of emotions in leadership. He emphasized that emotions are a key human trait distinguishing us from machines. Prof. Menges linked this back to the Romantic era, suggesting a shift from a purely efficiency-driven mindset to a more human-centered one.

Prof. Menges pointed out that earlier generations believed in working hard to achieve happiness later, but current research shows that happiness should come first to drive productivity. A study found that emotions significantly impact productivity, and companies need to focus on preventing employee burnout alongside promoting engagement.

Despite significant investments in wellness programs, their effects are often negligible. Prof. Menges argued for a shift from prescriptive leadership to adaptive, emotionally intelligent organizations. He highlighted the importance of "Emotional Fit" – the alignment between desired and actual emotions at work – since a poor fit correlates with negative outcomes like lower well-being and higher stress.

Looking ahead, Prof. Menges predicted that emotional intelligence will become even more crucial as AI takes over routine tasks, leaving more emotionally driven work for humans.

Article by Maximilian Schenner