This week, after 25 years in the corporate world, I took a decisive step: I said goodbye to Alpiq. It’s a moment full of emotions – sadness, curiosity, excitement, and yes, even fear. A true transition.
Moments like this raise a fundamental leadership question:
How much do I share? Where does openness become strength – and where might it overwhelm myself or others?
Vulnerability ≠ Strategy
Over the years I have learned: vulnerability does not mean revealing everything.
I have seen – and sometimes experienced myself – that oversharing can feel like offloading. Leadership vulnerability is not a performance, and it’s not a tool to gain sympathy.
It is the conscious act of sharing, in service of the people in front of you.
Real vulnerability connects when it is guided by discernment:
- What helps others grow?
- What builds trust without shifting the burden?
- What invites honesty while still holding direction?
Leadership in Transition
Transitions are true leadership stress tests.
You stand between two worlds – leaving something meaningful behind and stepping into what’s next. Colleagues, teams, and communities watch closely: what will he do now?
This is where leadership discernment is needed most – knowing when to open up courageously, and when to provide stability. Too much of either creates imbalance. The art lies in holding both.
For me, this is also a reminder that leaders need support, too. In this very moment I use coaching and mentoring myself – to reflect, to stay grounded, and to gain clarity on my next steps.
The Universal Pattern
Every leader goes through transitions:
- a new role,
- an organizational shift,
- a crisis,
- or a personal low point.
The pattern is always the same: people need authenticity AND orientation.
Openness without orientation creates insecurity.
Orientation without openness feels cold.
Only both together build lasting trust.
And personally: I have not experienced a shift of this magnitude since my lowest point back in 2018. Not in a dramatic way, but as a sober acknowledgment of how defining such moments can be.
A New Chapter
Now, many paths are open – and I am exploring them all:
Coaching, supporting leaders in their growth.
Entrepreneurial work with Owl & Fire.
And the search for my next executive role, where I can bring transformation and care at scale.
I step forward with humility, gratitude, and a clear awareness:
Vulnerability is not a strategy. It is a posture.
It is what connects us when shared in the right measure.
