Together with 30 other leaders from Brandenburg, Rebecca Jaeger embarked on a journey across the region. Stops along the way included Brandenburg Prison JVA Brandenburg an der Havel, Hoffnungstaler Stiftung Lobetal, MCR Engineering im Industriepark Schwarze Pumpe and many more…
Across eight intensive program days, participants focused on exchanging ideas, developing their own leadership approaches and exploring how Brandenburg can be guided toward a livable and sustainable future.
TFL: Was there a particular stop that stayed with you?
Rebecca: One of the most fascinating stops form e was MCR Engineering in the schwarze Pumpe industrial park. It offered a very tangible example of how the transformations away from coal mining toward new industries such as train repair and maintenance can succeed in practice. The company is developing new business areas that are entirely different while simutaneously restructuring its production processes and organizational systems.
During a tour, the CEO and project manager explained the different technologies to us, but even more importantly, they spoke very openly about their experiences including which new processes and services worked well and which did not. The focus was less on the technical side and more on how employees are experiencing and adapting to the transformation.
They shared how they are working to involve everyone in the process reduce fears, and connect the transformation with a sense of hope and opportunity. This honesty about the challenges of being in the middle of such a major transformation left a particularly strong impression on me.
TFL: Did the leadership learning journey change your perspective on certain leadership topics?
Rebecca: The Leadership learning journey did not completely overturn my fundamental beliefs, but it significantly broadened my perspective. Travelling to such diverse places across Brandenburg from care facilities and industrial companies to correctional institutions and NGOs gave us honest and vivid insights into very different leadership realities.
This diversity was incredibly valuable to me because it created space to reflect deeply on both my previous roles and my current position as a project manager. One especially inspiring realization was that participatory and empathetic leadership is possible even within very traditional or deeply rooted structures.
That insight reinforces the way we approach projects at The Future Living: we create the framework for meaningful and sustainable transformation processes even within complex or relatively rigid environments.
TFL: Many people compare leadership to a conductor, a gardener, or an architect someone who creates the conditions for growth and development. What image or person comes to mind for you?
Rebecca: For me, modern leadership is best represented by the image of a gardener. Unlike an architect, who designs a fixed structure or a conductor, who dictates every beat a gardener cannot force growth. However, they can prepare the soil, provide light, and remove obstacles.
To me, this mindset is about creating the right conditions in which talent can flourish. It requires individual support, because every team member needs something different at different stages-sometimes more freedom, sometimes more structure.
Gardeners also need patience and trust in the process, because real development takes time and cannot be accelerated through constant control. Ultimately, leadership should not be about standing in the spotlight, but about creating the space in which the entire can thrive.
*Goals and expected outcomes
Leaders from Brandenburg´s public administration, private sector, and non-profit/social sector come together on a shared Leadership Journey – an immersive exploration of leadership realities and leadership challenges across Brandenurg.
The program is funded by the European Union and state of randenburg and supports the initiative: Professional Development for leaders in brandenburg – leadership training and learning excursions.
