Three experts from different industries shared their experiences and insights. Highlights of this high-caliber panel discussion were:

Gerhard Wagner (Managing Director KSV1870 Informations GmbH):
shed light on the failure of companies and spoke about the dilemma of price increases (energy, personnel costs etc.) and how they are reflected in pricing. Explained the reasons why companies slide into insolvency.

Markus Chaloupka (Managing Director of the HOFER Austria branch in Trumau):
Reported in detail on how the company has managed the major crises of recent times (pandemic, supply chain disruption, inflation). Explained that a clear structure and, above all, empathetic leadership are the key to navigating a company through turbulent times.

Peter Spannagl (Global Talent Management Learning and Training Bayer AG):
Delivered a captivating experiment in which he demonstrated that it is often the mindset of leaders that acts as a 'golden cage' and limits their ability to seize opportunities. He also revealed the necessary leadership development strategies to break free from this mindset and create more space and time for the continuous development of the organization.

The key insight?

Reflection is key. It's not just about skills, but also about the mindset with which growth opportunities are recognized and seized - or missed. In conclusion, the participants agreed that a balance between clear structures and responsibilities combined with openness and reflection, especially among managers, is essential. This balance creates the environment for creative and unconventional ideas and enables their effective implementation in times of crisis.

We ended our "Oktoberfest of Knowledge" with a relaxed get-together.

Many thanks to our dean Wolfgang H. Güttel and all the speakers for the excellent insights and the discussions afterwards.