In Conversation with Leadership Experts Reiner Lomb and Prof. Dr. Frank Unger
(Translated from the original German interview: https://osthessen-news.de/n11788180/gute-fuehrung-entscheidet-heute-mehr-denn-je-ueber-zukunftsfahigkeit.html# )
February 9, 2026 (FULDA, Germany) – Technological and societal change is presenting leaders with new challenges. On March 24, two recognized experts will address the question of how effective leadership can be achieved in times of disruptive change, at an event hosted by the IHK Fulda (Fulda Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
Read below an interview with Reiner Lomb and Prof. Dr. Frank Unger on uncertainty, overwhelm, emotional competence, and the future of leadership.
Mr. Lomb, Mr. Unger, everyone is talking about change. What makes the current situation so unique in your view?
Reiner Lomb: We are experiencing an overlap of several profound shifts: technological leaps such as artificial intelligence, geopolitical uncertainties, the climate crisis, and demographic change. And while these may seem distant at first glance, their effects are being felt directly by people in their everyday lives. The key point is this: the speed of this change is overwhelming many people. Our biological and emotional capacity to adapt is not growing at the same pace as the demands placed on us. Leaders are positioned right at this intersection – they are expected to provide direction while they themselves are under enormous pressure.
Frank Unger: From an organizational psychology perspective, we can clearly see the consequences: rising stress levels, internal resignation, loss of motivation. At the same time, leadership is expected to ensure performance, health, and openness to change all at once. And right now we need capable, motivated people in our organizations. That can hardly be achieved with traditional leadership tools or by simply calling on people to work harder.
Mr. Lomb, you often speak of emotional competence as the key. What exactly do you mean by that?
Reiner Lomb: Emotions are the true engine of human behavior. And yet in many organizations they are still seen as a disruptive factor or a “nice to have.” But emotions determine whether people develop trust, take on responsibility, or resist change. Effective leadership today means understanding the emotional dynamics in oneself and others, and shaping them intentionally – not manipulatively, but with clarity, empathy, and a sense of responsibility.
Mr. Unger, does that align with your scientific findings?
Frank Unger: Absolutely. We all know this: knowledge alone barely guides our behavior. Otherwise, we would all be jogging regularly instead of eating sweets. What matters is what is emotionally rewarded – and that is exactly why emotions are the true lever in leadership as well. Leadership research makes it very clear: leadership works primarily through relationship, communication, and perceived fairness. Emotional competence is not a “soft skill” – it is a core resource for performance and influence. Leaders who master their own self-regulation, create psychological safety, and understand the central aspects of human behavior are more effective in their day-to-day leadership and foster motivation, willingness to learn, and health equally.
A great deal is demanded of leaders. Many feel overwhelmed themselves. Is that a taboo subject?
Reiner Lomb: Yes, and that is problematic. In many organizations, being overwhelmed is still seen as a personal failure. But it is often a structural phenomenon. Leaders today must constantly balance contradictory expectations. Without self-leadership – without clarity about one’s own values and emotional drivers – this will make people sick in the long run: both the leader and the team.
Frank Unger: That is why it is so important not to think of leadership only as a steering task, but as a design task – first for oneself, then for the people entrusted to you. Someone who cannot lead themselves well will have a hard time guiding others through change processes in a healthy and effective way.
Mr. Lomb, you have developed a model with core leadership behaviors. What is behind it?
Reiner Lomb: I work with seven fundamental leadership behaviors that are particularly effective in times of change – such as providing direction, building trust, enabling responsibility, or radiating emotional stability. The key point is: each of these behaviors has emotional drivers. When leaders understand these seven behaviors and the corresponding emotions, and consciously cultivate them, they can act more effectively rather than simply reacting to pressure.
What does that mean in practical, everyday leadership terms?
Frank Unger: In practical terms, it means: less action-ism or perfectionism – and instead more clarity and reliability. Good leadership does not show itself in immediately “managing away” every crisis, but in conveying a sense of security, creating meaning, establishing high-quality connections, and keeping people capable of action. This also includes acknowledging what one does not yet know, or where a decision cannot yet be made. That takes pressure off leaders and at the same time increases the performance of the organization.
Mr. Lomb, what do you see as most important in the coming years?
Reiner Lomb: Leadership will become more personal, more emotional, and at the same time more demanding. Authority will come less from position and more from inner attitude, presence, and credibility. Anyone who wants to lead people through uncertain times must have learned to deal with uncertainty themselves. That is not a question of technique – it is a question of inner development. And leadership only works sustainably when employees are also inspired to work together toward a shared goal.
Finally: What do you wish for leaders who engage with these topics?
Frank Unger: Curiosity and self-reflection. Leadership is not a finished state – it is a learning process.
Reiner Lomb: And the courage to take themselves as seriously as the results. Because in the end, the quality of leadership determines whether change is paralyzing – or enables growth. And that is exactly what we are also addressing in a seminar we have developed together with the IHK Fulda: “Leading Effectively in Times of Disruptive Change.”
The Interviewees
Reiner Lomb, born and raised in Fulda, is the founder and CEO of BoomerangCoach, an executive coaching company based in the United States. Lomb spent over 30 years as a founder of software companies and in global leadership roles in the technology industry. During his more than 20-year international career at HP, he led teams across multiple continents and played a key role in building HP Software into a multi-billion-dollar business. Lomb lives with his family in Atlanta, USA. Despite his international work, he has maintained a strong connection to his hometown and regularly returns to Germany and Fulda for lectures, seminars, and family visits. He is the author of the books ASPIRE: Leading with Emotions (the English edition was honored with three Book Awards in the USA) and The Boomerang Approach: Return to Purpose, Ignite Your Passion.
Prof. Dr. Frank Unger has been teaching at Hochschule Fulda since 2013, with a focus on personnel leadership, human resources and organizational development, and communication – particularly in challenging conversation and consulting situations. He also advises, trains, and coaches leaders throughout Germany. Previously, he spent more than ten years in leadership positions at the Federal Employment Agency. A current research focus is designing leadership that is both performance-oriented and health-promoting. He is the author of several books, including “Personalführung mit Wirkung” (Personnel Leadership with Impact, 2025, Tredition Verlag).