Reflections from the BGDF 2021
The Future of our Past: A Management Approach to Dealing with Colonialism and Difficult Histories

In Debate at the BGDF 2021
© Cumberland Lodge

By Sebastian Woller

I
 
Revolution is on my generation’s lips, at least, so it seems. In Germany, the UK, and beyond, people toss statues into water, torch buildings, and chant “I can’t breathe.” Bystanders look on with a sense of apprehension at our institutions and democracy, casting a shadow on the future of our past. 

In this post-traumatised world with little moral authority and ignorance of our past, people are asking, if, and how, can we recover?


II
 
“Vernunft wird Unsinn
Wohltat, Plage.”

Goethe expressed each generation's need for revolution. The words of the German poet who voiced his disappointment with the French Revolution, could reflect my own generation’s disenchantment with the West’s handling of colonial legacy. 

Often violent and uncontrollable, revolutions are not the solution. In most cases they topple existing authorities and usher in cruel and unsuitable systems, as history proves by the French and Russian Revolution. 

We need wisdom. 

My generation needs to create an honest society, spearheaded by cool-headed concepts that draw from different disciplines. Economics, psychology, philosophy, history and a liberal art like management will help us repair institutional decay and generate self-renewal. We can avoid the follies of the past, by making the humanities acquire relevance and impact in the future. 

III

There is no doubt that many of our institutions are severely flawed by the legacy of colonialism, inequality, and injustice. This can be seen in the likes of governance structure, recruiting, compensation schemes, and marketing. That said, there are institutions that have a number of initiatives that combat racism and difficult histories. With that, the frustration and disappointment in how slow they are to undertake change and transformation, lingers on and the disappointment permeates into my generation. 

The up-and-coming generation cannot let our emotions get the best of us by rushing to replace the existing frameworks. Instead, we can use them to benefit us. Only when authentic management fails to steer institutions onto a more morally-conscious path, should we consider reinventing them.

IV
 
Every modern institution, even those that still operate without a clear mission or vision, should impact society for good. Management teaches us that it is the task of the leader to decide which values, conceptual thinking, and discipline are best suited to develop others. The task of leadership is to pursue what is right, just, and prejudice-free.

As the world converges in the direction of Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984, my generation needs to become leaders and redefine these important institutions. By supporting and encouraging each other, we can raise our performance and visions to greater heights.

Perhaps one of the greatest factors of disenchantment is that our government institutions are not performing. In Europe, governments serve no more than fiscal and welfare states. Large, expensive, and complex administrations, they barely impact our lives. 

Inside these institutions, people have a narrow understanding of the ethos of work. Work is not treated scientifically. It misses an Archimedes, Isaac Newton, or any other historical foundations. Therefore, work lacks clear objectives and tasks are designed for a limited résumé. There is little innovation, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Things are at a standstill. We must lend a hand.

This generation in the making needs to redefine administrative agencies that are becoming an end in themselves. Instead of patriotism, we must strive for priorities. Keeping our difficult histories in mind, those who have paved the way must now set a path for all. 
 
V

We must look to the future. With a combined sense of faith and responsibility, we can manage the fountains of values, ethics, and culture.

My generation can find remedy in improving the institutions on which peace once dwelled. Working together and sharing our common humanity, we can create meaningful results for our institutions and society that are mutually beneficial to all. 

Authentic management strives to create a better future for everyone based on lessons learned from the past, and by doing it together in the spirit of the times. 


 

Top