“Leadership is a job in its own right.”

Laura Bornmann was a keynote speaker at the Fondsfrauen Summit 2026. In this interview, she explains why good leadership is neither about control nor about creating a feel-good environment, and what it actually requires instead.

You became a leader at the age of 28 and took on responsibility for many employees early on. How did this experience shape your perspective on good leadership?

Becoming a leader at 28 was both exciting and intimidating. Suddenly, it was no longer just about projects or results, but about people, their development, their motivation, and sometimes difficult decisions. At the beginning, I mainly wanted to prove that I deserved the role. I thought I had to appear particularly confident, always have answers, and show that I had everything under control. Looking back, I now know that this was my biggest misconception. Good leadership does not mean knowing everything. It begins with listening, asking questions, and truly understanding what people need in order to succeed. Another important realization was that self-doubt is not a weakness. Many leaders believe they must always appear completely certain. In reality, doubt is a sign of reflection and responsibility. What matters is not whether we doubt, but how we deal with it. Today, I see myself more as a service provider for my team. The key question is: How can I give people energy? What conditions do they need to do a really great job? And where do I see potential in someone that they may not yet recognize themselves?

“New Work” is a term we all know by now. What does “New Leadership” mean to you?

For me, New Leadership starts with a very clear view of people: I deeply believe that people want to do a good job. They want to contribute, shape, and take responsibility if they are given the opportunity. New Leadership therefore means not seeing people as resources, but as individuals with unique strengths and often untapped potential. Leadership is about making this potential visible and helping it unfold. At the same time, this is not about feel-good leadership or trying to please everyone. Good leadership combines genuine interest in people with clear expectations regarding performance and results. If you truly care about people, you also challenge them and provide honest feedback. People need to understand that clarity is not about harshness, but about responsibility and care.

Leaders are often under immense pressure, they are expected to deliver results while also creating a strong team culture. Where do you see the biggest tensions?

The biggest tension often arises from a false either-or mindset. Many still believe they must choose between focusing on results or taking care of people. In reality, good leadership only works when both come together. Of course, leaders are responsible for results. At the same time, we know from numerous studies that performance depends heavily on factors such as trust, psychological safety, and collaboration. In addition, many leaders today are in a “sandwich position.” On one side, there are expectations from top management, often shaped by traditional ways of working. On the other side, employees, especially younger generations, have very different expectations regarding leadership, purpose, and work culture. It is almost impossible to meet all expectations at once. That is why top management must not only define what is additionally expected, but also clearly communicate what is no longer expected. If we want to do things well, we need to prioritize.

You say that satisfaction and performance do not contradict each other, but actually reinforce each other. How can you recognize when both truly come together in a team?

You can feel it in the energy. That is usually the first thing I notice when I experience a team. When people take ownership, contribute ideas, and openly address problems, something is working well. A key indicator is psychological safety. When people feel comfortable admitting mistakes or expressing different opinions, this leads to more learning, more innovation, and more courage, and ultimately to better performance. I also pay close attention to how people talk about their work. Are they just busy, or truly engaged? Do they feel they are contributing something meaningful? And the narrative around performance plays an important role. If performance is always framed as a burden, resistance arises quickly. But when people experience that they can use their strengths and make a real impact, energy is created, and that energy is contagious.

Many leaders want to lead differently, but quickly face structural limitations in everyday work. Where do organizations need to change to enable modern leadership?

This is a contradiction I see in many organizations: modern leadership is expected, but not enabled. Leaders are expected to develop their teams while also delivering operationally, staying deeply involved in their area of expertise, and ideally thinking strategically. That simply does not work. The first step would be to finally recognize leadership as a job in its own right, not as a side effect of a specialist career. Leadership requires time, reflection, and real development, and this must be structurally embedded. The second step concerns behavior at the top. It is not enough to talk about trust while controlling every detail. People notice whether words and actions align. Culture is not created through mission statements, but through what is lived every day, through systems, incentives, and above all through role models. Top management carries a special responsibility here. At the same time, I do not believe change must always come from the top. Those who start doing things differently within their own area of responsibility can become catalysts for change. Such examples often create more momentum than any top-down initiative.

Many companies now have multiple generations working together. What opportunities do you see in this mix, and where do misunderstandings arise?

Many companies now have multiple generations working together. What opportunities do you see in this mix, and where do misunderstandings arise?

Fondsfrauen focus strongly on the career development of women in the financial industry. Which leadership structures best support women in realizing their potential?

A key factor is trust in potential. Women are often only considered for new roles once they already meet all the requirements. Men, on the other hand, are often encouraged to take on responsibility earlier. I experienced this myself. For a long time, I did not believe I was ready for leadership because I focused on what I could not yet do. Without my former manager, I would probably never have taken on my first leadership role. He believed in me before I believed in myself. That is exactly why many women need leaders who actively encourage them. It is often not enough to ask once, “Would you like to take on this role?” Many women take longer to decide, weigh risks more carefully, and ask themselves questions like: How will I manage this, especially if I want to have a family? We should therefore not jump to conclusions and say, “We asked, but she was not interested.” Good leadership in such moments also means encouraging people and showing them the potential others see in them. Empathetic leaders play a particularly important role here. They recognize potential, foster development, and create conditions in which different life models are possible.

In your work with leaders, what misconceptions about modern leadership do you encounter most often?

A common misconception is that modern leadership is soft or conflict-averse. Some equate empathy with a lack of clarity. In reality, the opposite is true. Good leadership does not mean trying to please everyone. It means setting clear expectations, giving honest feedback, and making difficult decisions. The difference lies in the mindset, decisions are made not out of power or control, but out of responsibility for people and results. Another major misconception concerns trust. Many leaders believe trust must be earned first. In practice, it often works the other way around. When people feel trusted, they are more likely to take responsibility, contribute ideas, and become more engaged.

The working world is becoming more technological, faster, and more complex. Which skills will leaders need most in the coming years?

In my new book „New Leadership – Menschen inspirieren, entwickeln und zum Erfolg führen“, I describe eleven key capabilities of modern leadership. Three of them are particularly crucial in my view. First, leaders should create an environment where people look forward to Monday. Work takes up such a large part of our lives. If people merely endure it, we waste enormous potential. Good leadership means creating conditions where people can use their strengths, feel seen, and contribute something meaningful. Second, leaders need the ability to inspire people about an uncertain future. This may sound paradoxical, and it is indeed a real challenge. Our working world is changing rapidly through technology, AI, and new business models. No one has all the answers. This makes it even more important to provide orientation and highlight the opportunities within change. Third, I consider one principle especially important: leaders should be as interested in their employees as they are in their closest friends. This is not about personal friendships, but about genuine interest in people. Those who understand what drives people, their strengths, and their concerns build trust. In my view, this combination of inspiration, orientation, and genuine interest in people will make the difference in leadership in the future.

Laura Bornmann’s new book „New Leadership – Menschen inspirieren, entwickeln und zum Erfolg führen“ (Campus Verlag)is now available in bookstores.

Credit: Campus Verlag

Titelfoto: Oli Duerr / Fondsfrauen Gipfel 2026

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