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What’s the hardest part about being a leader?

What’s the hardest part about being a leader?

Leadership often involves navigating difficult decisions regarding team management, particularly when it comes to letting people go and restructuring teams. Sigrid Eckhardt highlights the challenge of balancing a company's economic health with the human impact of these decisions, emphasizing the importance of transparent communication. While economic-driven terminations are generally easier to accept, performance-based dismissals hit harder on a personal level. Effective leadership requires weighing individual contributions against company values and fostering an environment where team members feel valued. Strong communication strategies are crucial in this process, as they can facilitate understanding even in tough situations. According to Sigrid Eckhardt, the ability to guide and empower people remains essential in leadership. Don’t miss more tips and insights on effective team management in the full episode.

2026·Season 2·Episode 7Highlight
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Sigrid Eckhardt · General Manager

Leadership insights

Episode Highlights

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Transcription

00:03

WHEN LEADERSHIP IS PAINFUL

00:14

"What's the hardest part of being a female leader?" Some days are...

00:22

Great, and easy, and everything flows together,but there are also days that are far more challenging.

00:30

For me, the hardest...days or tasks are those that involve dealing with the team with people per se.

00:42

And especially,when it comes to letting people go,building and restructuring teams,and making decisions that may benefit the company,yet pose challenges for those affected.

01:02

It's the issue of economic health versus human impact.

01:06

Would you like to briefly comment on that?Yes. You always have to weigh a company's profitability against what individuals contribute and how relevant certain people are for specific roles.

01:29

And as a female leader or company manager,you have to act mainly in the interests of the business.

01:42

And yet...You must keep motivating your teams and not lose them,because, at the end of the day,people are the most valuable asset in any company.

01:58

Despite all the debates on AI and digitalisation,in the end it's still about bringing people together,guiding them, leading them, and empowering them.

02:12

And wherever people are involved,naturally there are sensitivities too.

02:19

And sometimes,you choose one person over another.And shaping all of that still remains a challenge for me as a female leader.

02:35

What role do you think transparent communication plays?

02:39

Transparent communication is very, very important.

02:43

One has to be mindful of the other person's personality.

02:54

And sometimes,even with transparent or constructive communication,i'd say that it's not possible to reach an understanding because some people shut down in those situations,they don't take criticism well,and struggle to handle such decisions.

03:24

And in those cases,transparent communication hardly matters.

03:30

But in general, the clearer and more concrete the reasons communicated are,the quicker and easier the process will be.

03:42

How do you see the difference between terminations based on performance and those driven by economic reasons?

03:52

Decisions based on performance are...harder to discuss.

03:59

Because they go right to the person's core,and you have to tell them that their qualifications are not enough for the role or the job,and that always strikes personally.

04:13

Some people manage to turn it into something positive and learn from the situation.

04:20

And some people completely shut down.In comparison, economic reasons are, in my experience,way easier for people to accept.

04:32

Even if the outcome is the same.But if I tell someone that, for economic reasons,we need to cut jobs and it's not about their personality,performance, or qualifications per se,it's easier to handle than if it's directly tied to performance.