RESPONSIBILITY – What distinguishes winners from losers

The difference between winners and losers, i.e., between people who develop new skills in crises and those who break down, can be summed up in three words: personal responsibility instead of blame.

Resilience means not only mental toughness, but also the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. People who know only a few behavioral patterns repeatedly resort to the same methods when under pressure—even if they no longer work. This keynote address therefore focuses on responsibility under pressure: How can it be recognized—and how can it be learned?

Responsibility comes into play when things get uncomfortable: when performance and values diverge. The keynote speech combines scientific findings with questions that managers face on a daily basis: What do you do with top performers who deliver outstanding results but at the same time destroy the culture? Fire them? Keep them? Consciously dealing with such ambivalence is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of maturity and leadership. That's why values are not "nice to have," but a control system—especially in times when KPI logic is faster than orientation.

The second focus is more personal: it is not the multitude of tasks that exhausts people, but the loss of orientation. Three questions help to realign oneself:

1. Do I work out of passion?
2. Do I strive for excellence or am I satisfied with mediocrity?
3. Does what I do make sense—for me, for my organization, for the world?

A myth is debunked: Confucius never said the supposed quote, "Find a job you enjoy, and you'll never have to work again." It is precisely such pseudo-truths that create false expectations. Work must always be enjoyable. They mix three different levels: job, career, and vocation.

The crucial question, especially in very challenging times, is not: Do I always enjoy my work? But rather: What am I willing to put up with difficult days for? And what conditions are necessary for all employees to be happy to do more than they have to? 

Finally, the keynote offers three approaches for practical application: self-discipline, rituals, reflection —and a simple magic word that makes many things possible again.

"The keynote speech 'Winners and Losers' by Andreas Salcher is both moving and refreshing. The lecture is a source of inspiration for how many successful people master their lives and what is important in life. I enjoyed this lecture and have already implemented some of the ideas in my own life."

Dr. Elham Pedram, Business Unit Director, Gilead Sciences