Running head: ANGELA MERKEL 1

Name of the student

Name of the University
Assignment Title
Date
ANGELA MERKEL 2

Table of Contents
Description of the case:...............................................................................................................................2
Angela Merkel background information..................................................................................................2
Leadership Challenge Angela Merkel had to Manage.............................................................................2
Analysis and evaluation of case...................................................................................................................3
Leadership Style......................................................................................................................................3
In-depth analysis and evaluation of leader’s effectiveness or endorsement in mastering the leadership
challenge..................................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion and recommendation.................................................................................................................6
Conclusion about the usefulness of the applied leadership concepts...........................................................6
Recommendation for leaders facing such challenges in the future..............................................................7
Self-reflection on group work using Rolfe’s reflective model.....................................................................7
What?......................................................................................................................................................7
So what?..................................................................................................................................................8
Now what?...............................................................................................................................................8
References...................................................................................................................................................9
ANGELA MERKEL 3

Description of the case:

Angela Merkel background information
Angela Merkel, née Angela Dorothea Kasner, (born July 17, 1954, Hamburg, West Germany),
German politician who served as chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She was the first
woman to hold that office and the second longest-serving chancellor in German history.
Angela Merkel was born in Hamburg, the daughter of a pastor and a teacher. She grew up in East
Germany in the days of the Communist government. And for her, family was a source of
immense comfort.
She was a star student in mathematics and Russian, and went on to study physics at Leipzig
University. In time, she earned a PhD in quantum chemistry, and worked as a research scientist
in East Berlin—and she lived near the Berlin Wall.
As was the case for most children growing up in the German Democratic Republic, Merkel
participated in the state’s youth organizations. She was a member of the Young Pioneers (from
1962) and the Free German Youth (from 1968). Her involvement with the Free German Youth
has led to controversy, as some of her former colleagues from the Central Institute of Physical
Chemistry claimed that she was active as a secretary for agitation and propaganda at the institute,
though Merkel maintained that she was responsible for cultural affairs (e.g., procuring theatre
tickets). Merkel was not nor did she apply to be a member of the Socialist Unity Party, and when
approached by personnel of the Ministry for State Security (Stasi) to become an informant, she
refused.
In the September 2013 federal election, the CDU-CSU alliance won an impressive victory,
capturing nearly 42 percent of the vote—just short of an absolute majority. However, because
her coalition partner, the FDP, failed to reach the 5 percent threshold for representation, Merkel
faced the prospect of forming a government with either the SPD or the Green Party, both of
whom were likely to be reluctant partners. After more than two months of negotiations, Merkel
secured an agreement with the SPD to form another grand coalition government. On December
17 she became Germany’s third three-time chancellor in the postwar era (after Konrad
Adenauer and Kohl).
Leadership Challenge Angela Merkel had to Manage
The COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful example of a crisis. Sweeping across the world, hundreds
of thousands have died and tens of millions are unemployed. The number of cases continues to
grow every day; in fact, it is accelerating in some places. To confront the virus, governments,
central banks and a range of other institutions are taking unprecedented action to reduce infections
and stimulate economic activity.
In early March 2020, the World Health Organization called Europe the epicenter of the COVID-
19 pandemic. Despite being at the very heart of Europe, Germany has suffered far less than its
neighbors. The four largest countries in the European Union outside Germany have so far suffered
death tolls that are 3–4 times the size of that in Germany and death rates that are 5–6 times larger.
ANGELA MERKEL 4

At the heart of the country’s response has been Angela Merkel’s leadership. Uniting Germany,
she coordinated across the country’s complex federal system to chart a single path forward for its
states, agencies, and the German public. She has now turned to the international
arena, galvanizing Europe and the world behind a single approach to ensuring the international
community emerges from the crisis stronger and more unified than before.

Analysis and evaluation of case

Leadership Style
Merkel’s leadership style is prudent, democratic, and modest. Merkel prefers discussion,
deliberation and consensus. The Germans call her “Mutti” (mummy), because she understands
what her country wants and makes sure her country gets it The fictional processing of the historic
material reveals various references to the Leipzig Leadership Model seen combined in the four
aspects of Merkel’s leadership rue, a metaphor appealing to her famous gesture (sometimes also
known as Merkel diamond). Certain behavioral patterns become visible again and again, from
scene to scene and make it clear how the Chancellor unfolds her POWER of leadership.
Humanistic world view: “Will people ever understand, that it is a self-evident fact, that we must
help people in need?” This statement, expresses the Chancellor’s attitude and shows her deeply
humanistic compass. Especially in the demanding scene when she approaches a crying Lebanese
girl and gently comforts her and expresses a warmth of heart that words cannot.

Pragmatic-systemic thinking and acting: The Chancellor tirelessly organizes small-scale

coordination meetings with all parties involved and seeks an acceptable compromise. When
asked if someone else might be bluffing, she only says, “I don’t know, I’m not a gambler”. or “I
don’t want a solution at any price.”

Modest-authentic appearance: While almost all the other top politicians appearing in the film
repeatedly bring their own interests into play, Merkel dispenses with hers completely and
manages to reach a compromise through her unconditional objectivity. She restricts her own
emotions to the sober statement: “If getting upset would help solve problems, I would get upset.”

Orientation towards a contribution to the greater whole: Time and time again the Chancellor
takes a problem-solving approach and puts the situation into a more comprehensive context,
whether it is the appeal for a common European solution or the reminder of Germany’s special
historical responsibility.

Below are six of the ten main principles of the servant leader and how Chancellor Merkel
exhibits these traits. Leaders of governments are seen as servants of the population, but not all
who hold leading positions exhibit this quality. Most servant leaders reside in social work or
religious services, although more and more of these traits are being recognized as important
leadership styles in corporations and government.

We can describe a servant leader as an individual who:

ANGELA MERKEL 5

1. Listens: The servant-leader seeks to identify the will of a group and helps to clarify that
will. While science experts struggled with their leaders hit by the pandemic, the US being
one of the most prominent, Merkel listened to hers telling the German public, “We will
align our decisions with recommendations from experts.”
2. Shows Empathy: The most successful leaders are empathetic and have concern for the
poor and marginalized. During her speech in December 2020, Merkel appealed to the
emotions of her country's citizens. Her words, full of sentiment, indicated that any
reaction to this deadly virus isn’t an overreaction.
3. Distributes Equity: The servant-leader transfers as much authority as possible to others,
enabling them to make their own decisions in as many areas as is possible. As in the
example above, Merkel effectively handed the lead over to Germany’s top scientists
while also being forthright with the public, asking them to take their responsibility in the
crisis.
4. Demonstrates Stewardship: Servant-leadership, like stewardship, assumes a commitment
to serving the needs of others. It also emphasizes the use of openness and persuasion
rather than control. Christine Lagarde, president of the IMF, wrote of Angela Merkel’s
leadership, “For her, human dignity is a matter of the heart—and so are the big questions
that come with it. How can we address the causes of displacement and forced migration?
How can we ensure that digital transformations benefit all people? How can we fight the
existential threat of climate change?”
5. Is Persuasive: Rather than using one’s authority or coercion, lead through influence and
persuasion. “I seek cooperation rather than confrontation.” From climate change and
migration issues to the pandemic, Angela Merkel understands the multilateral system.
The Chancellor knows that the system has helped people become healthier, wealthier, and
better educated. But she is also aware of its limitations, as not everyone has benefited
from the current system.
6. Shows Awareness: No individual ever has total authority over another. That is by
definition a form of dictatorship, even if the “leader” who thinks he/she has such
authority has good intent. Uri Savir of the Jerusalem Post posits that perhaps the dark age
of Germany and the Holocaust has served as a basis for a new liberal Germany, based on
the respect of human rights. Germany has been coming to terms with its horrendous past
by developing a liberal, non-xenophobic society. Because of her focus on integration,
economic disparity has shrunk between the various parts of Germany.

Chancellor Merkel has become a positive force for the European Union, with her servant
leadership style. She sacrifices some of her immediate diplomatic gains whenever necessary to
defend the common good of the union. 

She also dared to ask Europe some of its most challenging questions; what kind of continent it
wanted to be? Does it choose to be a continent where human dignity and upholding the rights of
minorities, or does Europe want to live in a world where nationalism and intolerance prevail? As
the extreme right gains power and Brexit, Europe is at risk of shrinking back into narrow and
nationalistic ways. Through these challenges, Merkel has brought a stable and grounded presence
in the face of change, stress, or troublesome times.
ANGELA MERKEL 6

Chancellor Angela Merkel acted like any other Head of State should have in a time of crisis. Her
servant leadership skills allowed her to lead not only Germany but also the European
community. While looking for the best innovative solutions to many of the problems she faced
during her tenure, Merkel has also influenced how the world perceives Germany; as active in
human rights, the environmental debate, and the coronavirus crisis.

In-depth analysis and evaluation of leader’s effectiveness or endorsement in mastering the

leadership challenge.
The reason her leadership has been so successful has a lot to do with certain parts of her
personality. Part of her job is making tough decisions; this is something she has never been
afraid of doing (at least not outwardly). As a woman in a male-dominated environment, and
party, “she has never been afraid to be a lone voice.” Everything about her is unique, and she
isn’t afraid to embrace that as well. She is the minority, but that gives her the ability to stick to
her decisions, even when the majority are wary. For example, when reducing the size of
Germany’s military, many of her fellow politicians were against the decision. However, she
stuck with her Defense Minister and ended up making the better choice for her country.
Secondly, she takes things slowly and allows for time to aid in her process of changing things.
Known as “the politics of baby steps,” or “leading from behind,” Merkel means that she sees
leadership as something that should have a purpose; something that should be collective. Most of
her policies were implemented slowly, giving her time to work through the backlash of some of
her policies. With every change made, politically, technologically, or personally, there will
always be some about of reluctance to it from the public. Merkel recognizes this and deals with it
in this way. Staying true to her values is something else that has made her an exceptional leader
and unique politician. When people think of Germany they often think of Nationalism, the
Holocaust, and all of the awful things that accompany those thoughts. Merkel’s values, however,
have been a driving force in changing the way Germany is viewed by others. “[Merkel values]
humanity, generosity, [and] tolerance,” which has served her well as she enters into her third
term. Although many people were against a lot of her actions, she stuck with these values. For
example, after immigrants had attacked and sexually assaulted German women, the public had
the general opinion that immigrants and refugees were bad, harmful to society, and should not be
welcomed in Germany. However, Merkel stuck with her values of tolerance and humanity; she
maintained that Germany needed to maintain being their openness to those seeking refuge, and
not generalize this large group of mostly harmless people into a group of criminals. With this,
she found an alternate solution to the problem that did not involve the uncalled for deportation of
immigrants and refugees. Instead, she made it easier to kick criminal non-citizens out of the
country if they committed a crime.
Merkel’s leadership style is one that is strong-willed, slow, but deep thinking, and mindful of her
subordinates. She is a politician with an education in science who has been elected into office
three times. Something about her leadership style seems to be working.
ANGELA MERKEL 7

Conclusion and recommendation

Conclusion about the usefulness of the applied leadership concepts

She doesn’t need to win every argument. She doesn’t have to get in the last word. She quietly
assesses the different factors involved in a given situation and then decides which way she wants
to go, and does it quietly and without fanfare.

Domestically, a few stand out, including her 2009 introduction of a constitutional debt brake
(Schuldenbremse) guaranteeing balanced budgets, her 2011 resolution to phase out nuclear
energy after Japan’s Fukushima disaster, and her 2015 decision to override EU rules on
asylum seekers and open Germany’s borders to more than one million refugees from Syria
and elsewhere.

At the EU level, there was her insistence on austerity and structural reform during the
eurozone debt crisis, her determination to complete the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural
gas pipeline with Russia, and her acceptance of jointly issued EU debt in anticipation of the
economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the course of Merkel’s tenure, Germans have generally had more favorable views of their
national economy than other Europeans and Americans had of their own. Throughout Merkel’s
leadership, Germans’ views of the United States have changed widely over time, largely
dependent upon who the president was, while views of German leadership in the European
Union have remained widely consistent among both Germans and people in other EU member
states.
As a leader, she understood well the mutual benefits of constructive engagement with China and
Russia despite the heavy pressure from the United States. That is why she played a pivotal role in
concluding the negotiations on the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment last
December. And during her tenure, China became the largest trade partner of Germany as well as
the EU.
Merkel is a brilliant leader, but not a saint. She also made mistakes but her scientist-background
enabled her to correct many of them. Aside from her great political achievements, Merkel has
impressed people with her humble style such as by frequently shopping for groceries in the
supermarket.
ANGELA MERKEL 8

Recommendation for leaders facing such challenges in the future

Merkel established a particular leadership style and culture immediately, something experts say
is similarly essential for any incoming CEO. Having the right culture at the right time and with
the right people can elude many companies. In Merkel’s case, she consistently kept her ego in
check and exhibited a servant leadership style, says Richenda Broadbent, a Korn Ferry associate
client partner.

Leadership experts say Merkel also displayed certain qualities that successful private-sector
leaders also should have. “Her biggest strength is her ability to look at complex phenomena from
the perspective of a detached and objective observer and then to infer solutions from that,”
says Eric Wenzel, a Korn Ferry senior client partner based in Germany. Indeed, consider the
“Pause Principle”: how stepping back can help leaders move their organizations forward.

At a basic level, Merkel’s proponents say, leaders like her are able to outline a strategy, motivate
others to embrace the strategy, and put the systems in place to help everyone successfully
implement the change. “That’s the magic formula for getting change to happen and getting it to
stick,” says Jane Stevenson, global leader of the CEO Succession practice and vice chair of the
Board and CEO Services practice at Korn Ferry.
Still, experts say that while these qualities might have been sufficient for Merkel or any existing
CEO, they aren’t enough to ensure success now. Future CEOs will need to be able to seize on
uncertainty and disruption as opportunities to make huge changes. They also will have to
embrace diversity, welcoming people and ideas from different backgrounds. And they’ll have to
balance the needs of a multitude of stakeholders instead of prioritizing just one group (voters, in
Merkel’s case, or investors, for a CEO). “The most effective CEOs and the highest-performing
companies will possess a completely different mindset,” says Evelyn Orr, chief operating officer
of the Korn Ferry Institute.

Self-reflection on group work using Rolfe’s reflective model

In their book 'Framework for Reflective Practice,' Professor Gary Rolfe and colleagues
(2001) laid down a significant framework for self-reflection (Gandolfi and Stone, 2018). It's
based on three basic questions.
What?
For the assignment, my class was divided within groups to work. The group work led to
sharing and brainstorming of innovative ideologies with constant communication and debates
within the members. This led to the outcome of a well-structured assignment however, due to the
gaps of communication, there were certain hurdles during the procedure of completion of task.
ANGELA MERKEL 9

So what?
Within the group I learnt to explore my creative side and think outside of the box as that
could lead to innovative outcomes. Moreover, earlier I use to believe I had strong social skills
and while that was partially true, I figured that I need to work on my communication skills to
strengthen the effectiveness. I further understood that it is not primarily essential to convey your
message but the message should also be perceived in the same manner. Additionally, respect
within team work is the most essential component as every member belongs to different cultures
and one must ensure not to offend anyone.
Now what?
In future, I need to work on my communication skills as that is a significant skill in
success in career and life. The group members during the brain storming and constant struggles
found a meaningful connection that could always benefit in future networking. Furthermore, I
could improve future outcomes by increasing my participation within group projects.
ANGELA MERKEL 10

References