In April 2026, I had the honour of opening the first certificate course “Führen in der Transformation” (Leading in Transformation) in Münster, a programme of the IHK Nord Westfalen developed together with HHL Leipzig Executive Education.
A strong partnership with HHL Executive Education
This course is the result of an excellent collaboration. The IHK Nord Westfalen developed it with HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, the Institute for Innovation Research and Management of the Westfälische Hochschule, and companies from the Münsterland and Emscher-Lippe regions. Its aim: leaders become transformation mentors who actively drive change in their organisations.
I have worked with HHL Executive Education as a leadership trainer since 2020. This collaboration stands for what I value most in executive education: academic rigour combined with genuine practical impact. My sincere thanks go to the HHL team for their trust and for inviting me to set the tone for this new programme.
Eighteen leaders, real challenges
Eighteen leaders from different industries took part. Their challenges are concrete: AI in procurement, robotics in production, restructuring.
Yvonne Thoben of LMC Caravan in Sassenberg put it clearly. In a sensitive restructuring, she asks how to retain knowledge, reorganise teams and still motivate people to go the extra mile. For her, continuing education is a long-term investment for anyone who does not want to remain stuck in the status quo.
A strong partnership with HHL Executive Education
This course is the result of an excellent collaboration. The IHK Nord Westfalen developed it with HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, the Institute for Innovation Research and Management of the Westfälische Hochschule, and companies from the Münsterland and Emscher-Lippe regions. Its aim: leaders become transformation mentors who actively drive change in their organisations.
I have worked with HHL Executive Education as a leadership trainer since 2020. This collaboration stands for what I value most in executive education: academic rigour combined with genuine practical impact. My sincere thanks go to the HHL team for their trust and for inviting me to set the tone for this new programme.
Eighteen leaders, real challenges
Eighteen leaders from different industries took part. For their German companies, one challenge stands above all others: AI transformation. It shows up in AI-supported procurement, robotics in production and internal AI assistants, often combined with restructuring.
Yvonne Thoben of LMC Caravan in Sassenberg put it clearly. Her company wants to guide employees through the introduction of AI assistants and new HR software, reduce uncertainty and show the benefits. In a sensitive restructuring, she asks how to retain knowledge, reorganise teams and still motivate people to go the extra mile. For her, continuing education is a long-term investment for anyone who does not want to remain stuck in the status quo.
My kick-off: two models for leading AI transformation
In my opening session, I built on two of my own models. Together, they explain why AI changes the rules of leadership and how leaders can take their people with them.
- The Collapsing Horizon and Simultaneous Leadership. My 2026 revision of the Three Horizons Model (Baghai, Coley & White, 1999) shows that, driven by AI, disruption that once took more than ten years now arrives within three to five years. Leaders can no longer manage the core business, emerging business and future options one after another; they must lead all three simultaneously. Ambidexterity (Tushman & O’Reilly, 1996) thus turns from a competitive advantage into an existential prerequisite. Read more
- The New Leadership. Leading people through this pace of change requires transformational leadership combined with contingent reward: clarifying expectations, making reliable agreements and recognising good performance. My research shows that contingent reward correlates significantly with transformational leadership and follower satisfaction (Wang, 2014). Empathy, trust and motivation are therefore not soft add-ons; they are what makes people willing to go the extra mile in uncertain times. Read more
Very positive feedback
The feedback from the participants was very positive. It confirmed how strongly leaders today are looking for practical, research-based guidance on taking people with them through change. It was a great start for a group that will later support skilled employees and talents in their own companies as mentors in the transformation process.
My heartfelt thanks go to HHL Executive Education, to the IHK Nord Westfalen and to all participants for their openness and commitment.
Prof. Dr. Jingjing Wang, HTWG Konstanz
References
- Baghai, M., Coley, S., & White, D. (1999). The alchemy of growth: Practical insights for building the enduring enterprise. Perseus Books.
- Tushman, M. L., & O’Reilly, C. A. (1996). Ambidextrous organizations: Managing evolutionary and revolutionary change. California Management Review, 38(4), 8–29.
- Wang, J. (2014). Globalization of leadership development. Springer Gabler.
- Wang, J. (2026). Business transformation in 2026: The three horizons model revisited [Leadership training presentations and handouts]. HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management.
Photos: Hertel/IHK; Schilling/IHK
