They called him "the teacher of faith" and "Papa Smurf", and so did Thomas Bartel, 37, too. 22 people were in his team, 22 people for whom he was boss, dispute mediator and pastor.
His days were clocked in one-hour blocks. One-on-one meetings, meetings, feedback sessions, and everything over again. Instead of writing code himself, as at the beginning of his career as a software developer, he now spent his days mainly with organizational matters. The work was fun for him, but he missed the feeling of once again "really getting into a topic".
Then his boss made him an offer: a new job with 0 instead of 22 employees. The salary would remain the same, but instead of being self-governing, it should be run - by a colleague who was eight years younger than him.
Bartel says he did not hesitate to promise. "I was looking forward to getting rid of the organizational and staffing responsibilities, of course, resigning from a leadership position is generally negative, but why?"
Christiane Bartel
Thomas Bartel
This is also the question of Hermann Arnold, 42, co-founder of the software company Haufe-umantis. He has given up his post as managing director and the responsibility for 100 employees at that time to a former intern.
Such a change can be found curiously - or as an example of successful recruiting, he says. "For me it was clear: I am no longer the right person at the top of the company, he would do better, and I had promoted him from day one."
Who wants to become boss?
The fact that the classic career of continuous advancement is no longer attractive to many people has recently resulted in a survey of a network of leaders, reported by SPIEGEL: Only 40 percent of men and 34 percent of women want to take a leadership position in their company.
A study by the Boston Consulting Group had come to a similar conclusion a few weeks earlier: only seven percent of respondents said they were willing to take a leadership position over the next five to ten years. And many supervisors said they felt lost between roles as a specialist and manager.
"Spiral career" Arnold calls his alternative model: A supervisor resigns, continues to educate - and comes back in the best case as a better boss.
Haufe-umantis
Hermann Arnold
The most famous example of such a career is Steve Jobs. Being fired by Apple, "was the best thing that could ever have happened to me," said the late Apple boss in retrospect. "The seriousness of being successful has been replaced by the ease of being a novice again."
It is not that easy to change roles in practice, however, as both Thomas Bartel and Hermann Arnold had to learn.
Suddenly nobody stops listening
For example, the colleague whose team Bartel was to change was less than enthusiastic. "Actually, I was like winning the lottery for them, after all, the job had to be filled urgently," he says. "But we had never worked together and understandably she was hesitant and wondered: are we both getting along?"
Arnold says he was aware that his successor would do things differently; that was the aim of the change. And yet he had a hard time getting used to the new leadership style. "In more than one situation, I thought, the whole place is flying around our ears!"
He always made sure not to overwhelm his people in software development - and his successor burdens them suddenly even more work. "Amazingly enough, that's exactly how he released new energy," says Arnold. "The employees were suddenly able to innovate, and that really got them going - I meant it well, but reduced it to the necessary boring tasks."
A painful insight, and others followed. "As a boss, you're used to people listening, and you think you're doing that because you're so smart or charming, but the truth is that the moment you lose the role, you lose most of the interest. "
Caught in the golden cage
Arnold still remembers a meeting with two potential business partners, for whom he seemed to become invisible, when he told them that his colleague would become the new CEO. Or to a film premiere, of all things on the subject of leadership at eye level, in which the audience reacted visibly disappointed, because only he had come, the former boss - and not the reigning.
A voluntary resignation is unfortunately still understood by many people as a "self-discovery trip for weaklings" says Arnold. Here at university or in politics, change in leadership positions and back but also everyday.
In Haufe-umantis Arnold has meanwhile followed many resignations, voluntary and involuntary. His successor was the first CEO to be voted on by the staff, and over the years, all management positions were awarded. A system that has proven itself for a few years, he says.
"A lot of people in leadership roles sit in the golden cage, they are not really good at what they do, but they also do not know how to get rid of their posts without loss of prestige and salary," says Arnold.
Lost the title, keep the mindset
Bartel can confirm this assessment. Often, the best employee is automatically appointed team leader at some point. You have completely different tasks in a leadership position.
"As a manager, it's hard to see what you've done at the end of the day," he says. "It's hard to quantify the work, it's hard to say that because I did this or that, one employee is now five percent more productive, it takes time for results to be visible, and many factors come in. As a single employee, you have much shorter ones feedback cycles. "
Bartel likes to use such words. Feedback cycle, mindset, pro-active, hands-on. He still sounds like a manager. And as such, he also understands himself. "I lost the title but kept the mindset," he says.
He now thinks about team boundaries, rather have the big picture in mind and do not give up so quickly. Instead of immediately asking the boss for advice in case of problems, he is looking for solutions himself. "Especially as a beginner, you think the supervisor knows everything, but when you're in the role, you know that he or she is not smart and has no time to worry about any problem."
Anyone who has resigned, will later become a better boss, of which Arnold is convinced. He now looks after the topic of innovations for large customers at the Haufe Group, so he has management responsibilities again, but at the same time he works "value-added", as he puts it, by caring for customers and coaching teams.
Thomas Bartel also manages four employees. "The team is small enough that I can do something myself and not just have a management role," says Bartel. "This mix is ideal for me."
So succeeds the resignation of the chief post
Take a break
Hermann Arnold allowed himself a mini sabbatical of 100 days between old and new job. "When I came back, my successor was already sitting in the saddle," he says. Another advantage: possible resentment of individual colleagues on their former boss has flown away after this time.
Get a nice title
How about Chief Visionary Officer? Arnold took over after his resignation as Managing Director formally the office of Chairman of the Board. The title should signal continuity to the outside, he says, but has "calmed down even the own ego". A new title also prevents customers or business partners from brooding: Why is the boss stepping back, is something wrong? "
Poker for your new salary
"Go back a little with your salary, but not all the way," advises Arnold. The experience you have gained as a leader remains with you and makes you a valuable member of the team - this is a good argument to mitigate the threat of losing salary.
Give feedback only when asked
And do not be frustrated if the new boss does not listen to you at the end. "It hurts when your own advice is ignored," says Arnold. "But worse still, if the successor follows the advice and is celebrated for it." He himself took a long time to accept that even selecting the best proposal is the successor's achievement.
Take stock after one to two years
Do you want a leadership task again? If so, get in position in good time. "Anyone who pauses with a task too long loses confidence in their own abilities," says Arnold. He recommends resigned bosses with leadership aspirations to resume leadership positions within three to five years at the latest.
