As one of the few women on the management board of a major construction company in Austria, Annette Scheckmann brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role at STRABAG AG (part of STRABAG SE), a leading European construction company with over 74,000 employees and annual revenue exceeding €17 billion. Annette shares her reflections on her leadership journey, the mistakes made, and the growth that followed. Her insights provide a realistic view of leadership, challenging traditional norms and advocating for authenticity, intuition, and emotional intelligence in the workplace.
1. bring your authentic self to work
Many are aware of the DEI framework which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Yet, the fourth, probably still the most privileged but not at all less important letter, is lesser known. B stands for Belonging. It emphasizes the importance of bringing one's full, authentic self to the workplace. Individuals need an environment where they feel accepted, valued, and included and where the complexity of their personality is recognized and celebrated.
Annette shares her thorough reflection and advises leaders to bring their authentic selves to work environments. “Looking back, I wish I had dared to be myself in business much earlier. From the beginning of my career, I was surrounded by mostly male colleagues and superiors. At a very early stage, I started to copy their behaviors. After an assessment center, I received the feedback: "Annette, you are smart, quick, and have an entrepreneurial instinct. But somehow you come across as the cold blonde". This feedback made me think a lot. Privately, I have never been cold; I am a very humorous, sensitive, and emotional woman and I did not want to be two different people. An Annette in business and an Annette in private. It took me a long time to find my way and the courage to be exactly the same at work as I am in my private life. Just me.”
2. listen to your intuition
The role of listening to our intuition is often downplayed and labeled as something stereotypically feminine, even though it is a sound scientific concept our brain uses for quick decision-making.
The science behind intuitive decision-making involves the brain recognizing patterns and drawing on a reservoir of knowledge accumulated over time. When faced with a new situation, the brain quickly matches it to similar past experiences, enabling a fast and often accurate response. This type of decision-making is especially valuable in high-stakes or complex environments where quick judgments are essential.
“I rely on making decisions by taking into account as many factors as possible, but I always allow myself to be guided by my gut feeling as well.” Annette highlights.
3. don’t forget to laugh
Way too many times we take ourselves too seriously. Yet, it’s good to remind ourselves that the world keeps spinning despite the challenges we experience. Research shows that humor in the workplace can significantly improve employee morale, foster team collaboration, and enhance problem-solving skills. It reduces stress, boosts overall brainpower by releasing serotonin, and strengthens social connections among coworkers.
As Annette puts it, “Especially in times of uncertainty or difficult conditions, it is important to me that my employees can feel and experience my optimism. I never hide my sense of humor, and especially in uncertain times, it gives my employees a sense of security: laughing together. When they see that I can still laugh, everyone knows, things can't be that bad.”
4. when things don’t go as planned: recognize the problems & work on solving them
“In the construction industry, every project is unique, and you quickly learn how closely success and failure are intertwined. For example, we acquired a project that turned out to be highly negative almost immediately due to numerous calculation and execution errors,” Annette shares.
To overcome such challenges and execute the project successfully, she emphasizes the importance of early problem recognition, full transparency, and honesty. “Transparency and honesty are crucial in these situations, along with consistent support for the on-site team. No one likes working on a poorly performing project. Being present on-site, engaging with employees, and listening to their concerns were the most vital actions we took.”
5. make sure others also learn from your mistakes
Leaders need to go beyond just learning from their own mistakes; they must ensure others benefit from those lessons too. Reflecting on her earlier example, Annette explains, “Putting our mistakes on the table transparently and clearly demonstrating that we have not only recognized the problem but are working on it with full commitment, and that we are also learning lessons from it.”
Annette adds, “I firmly believe that mistakes are there to be learned from. I don't dwell on my mistakes. I always look forward and do everything I can to make sure I'm not the only one who can learn from them.”
By sharing her approach to transparency and continuous learning, Annette ensures that both she and her team grow from each experience, fostering a culture of openness and improvement.
6. leverage the power of storytelling
Especially when it comes to challenging projects and change management, Annette advises leaders to go beyond the available data and tell a story instead, to affect the psyche of the team members as people, especially in extended periods of stress, tend to be more driven by their emotions.
"A fool with a tool is still a fool" - a quote I like to use when talking about my early experiences in crisis management. Driven by our educational background, we tend to approach these situations in a rational and analytical way, producing reports and making data-driven decisions. This is not a failure in itself, but it ignores the importance of storytelling and taking people along for the ride. In the past, I've wondered why no one seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, even though we saw the data. Now I know that we need to go beyond data and reports and work with our people to overcome initial resistance because it is in extreme situations that emotions play a major role in the success or failure of a turnaround.”
7. encourage constructive criticism
As leaders grow into higher positions of power, they can easily develop a flawed picture of reality due to dishonest feedback from their team members. This is nothing surprising as due to the power imbalance, direct reports are often in a vulnerable position. Nevertheless, such dynamics can prevent leaders from growing and improving.
Annette emphasizes, “The higher you climb in the hierarchy, the less honest feedback you receive. One can only learn and grow if one receives honest feedback; otherwise, you risk being trapped in a self-reinforcing system, a rosy bubble, and then further development is not possible.”
Therefore, it’s crucial for leaders to be aware of this phenomenon and ensure they have people around them who will provide candid, constructive feedback, even if it’s not always easy to hear. By surrounding themselves with honest voices, leaders can continue to learn and grow effectively.
8. let people go when it’s needed
One of the toughest decisions for leaders is laying off team members. In fact, 68% of leaders in our Leadership:Redefined movement stated that letting go of people is the hardest part of being a leader. Annette’s nuanced perspective might help in making such difficult decisions in the future.
“In my view, leadership is always based on a bilateral relationship of equals. If this relationship is exploited, manipulated behind the scenes, or if trust is abused, then as a leader you have to recognize that there are people whose values do not match your own or those of the company. And it is precisely in such cases that you must be able to say that it is necessary to part ways with an employee. These are not easy decisions, but a leader always has a responsibility to the whole organization.”
Annette’s approach highlights the importance of maintaining trust and shared values within the team. Recognizing when these principles are compromised ensures the overall health and integrity of the organization, even if it involves making difficult choices. This perspective can provide clarity and confidence when faced with the difficult task of letting someone go, ensuring that decisions are made with the broader interests of the organization in mind.
9. be clear, so your team doesn’t have to guess
Leaders have a significant responsibility in shaping their environment with their actions, attitudes, and the energy they bring. Their influence can greatly affect company culture.
Sometimes, employees might try to predict and conform to what they think management wants without being explicitly told. This behavior, known as anticipatory obedience, can actually limit creativity and growth.
“I once applied for a senior position, became pregnant during the application process, and withdrew my application. It was only after talking to men that I realized I had acted in perfect "anticipatory obedience”. I would never do it again. I now try to prevent all those I work with from making the same mistake, by repeatedly showing them what I mean by "anticipatory obedience" and how to avoid it.”
By avoiding this behavior and encouraging others to act authentically, leaders can foster a healthier, more balanced work environment that promotes collaboration, innovation, and adaptability.
Annette Scheckmann's unconventional leadership insights challenge traditional norms and offer food for thought for any leader seeking to inspire and drive positive change. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity, urging leaders to bring their true selves to work and create a culture where employees feel valued and included. By sharing her personal experiences, Annette highlights the power of intuition in decision-making, underscoring that gut feelings are often rooted in deep-seated knowledge and experience.
about Annette
Annette Scheckmann worked in renowned multinational companies before starting her career in the STRABAG Group in 2008. Since then, she has successfully mastered many international challenges within the Group. Following her last position as Managing Director of Züblin Spezialtiefbau GmbH and its successful transformation, she is now embarking on the next phase as Commercial Division Manager and Member of the Executive Board of STRABAG AG in Austria.
Innovation requires a head start and persistence. Annette Scheckmann pushes and promotes both wherever possible. Known for her focus on "People First", she has made it her goal to think further about employee development. For her, sustainability is not a buzzword, but a daily way of life: for her, every step in the right direction counts.
about Strabag
STRABAG is Austria's largest construction company and the Austrian market leader in all areas of the construction industry. Efficiency, innovative strength, know-how and a high degree of specialisation enable us to offer the right construction solution for each of our construction projects. We are regionally anchored throughout Austria as a construction company and technology partner, because we are firmly convinced that you have to know the country and its people in order to fulfil customer requirements in the best possible way.
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