The Book – SEJM

About the book

A Whole Person – and Still a Manager grew out of Stefan's own experiences as a manager and from having had a number of managers himself over the years. What kept recurring was many managers' inadequate leadership qualities – in many cases a matter of incompetence, in others a complete absence of the ability to lead others.

The book is about being able to analyse your own strengths and limitations. It is entirely possible to be a manager and still remain a whole person in the long run – as long as you have the insights needed to know you are on the right track.

It is possible to be a manager and still remain a whole person long-term. As long as you have the insights needed to know you are on the right path. Stefan Wittrin

What the book covers

The book demonstrates a way of being a manager and leader with all that entails – without being torn apart by circumstances that sooner or later affect all organisations. Stefan does not claim this book is the only path to effective leadership, but it is definitely a help for anyone who wants to understand the fundamental knowledge that every person's life should be built upon.

Integrity

Being consistent, honest and unpretentious. That is the foundation of trust – with colleagues, with others and with yourself.

Self-awareness

Understanding your own strengths and limitations. What the best managers Stefan has encountered have in common is an unpretentious relationship with themselves and a clear self-knowledge.

Surviving as a leader

Many managers struggle in their professional roles. Many of them would only have needed to understand that they themselves could have changed their situation. The book provides concrete tools for managing the assignment sustainably over time.

Courage – a theme in the book

Courage is a recurring theme. The word is often associated with strength and heroic deeds – but courage is fundamentally personal. It depends on how we mirror what is done in ourselves: Could I do that? Would I dare?

We are courageous to varying degrees. Sometimes it concerns something big and sometimes something small. No one else can determine when we are truly courageous – only we ourselves know when we are truly being brave.

Courage breeds pride and gives us a satisfaction that no one else can give us, and that cannot be bought. Stefan Wittrin

In the book, Stefan tells the story of moving to Australia, the bungee jump – and the most courageous thing he has ever done, which was neither of those. The stories are concrete entry points into reflections on what it means to live and lead with courage.