Paths to Success – Inspiring Future Leaders

“What shall I do, how shall I communicate with colleagues when a project gets stuck?”

These questions and possible reactions to it were the focus of the seminar “Paths to Success – Inspiring Future Leaders” which was held from 14 to 16 November 2014 in Berlin, Germany. 40 young participants from 12 different countries were confronted by Mexican-Swiss coach Gabriela Mueller-Mendoza with challenging situations that required specific personal, communication and leadership skills.

This was the 4^th annual seminar, and was jointly organised by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) and Freie Universität Berlin, and funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Germany, and Olympic Solidarity.

We all know of situations in daily life, in private or professional contexts or during voluntary activities in sport, where we feel that our willingness to communicate comes to an end. Especially in project management, when project teams are being formed by superiors and deadlines are coming up, a solid project management might be challenged by increasing pressure which creates concerns and emotions.

Through hands-on activities, participants of the seminar were encouraged to observe themselves in different situations and reflect upon personal communication and leadership strategies. These very revealing and at the same time enjoyable exercises were accompanied by presentations and practical experiences led by leaders in their own fields, such as Uwe Kleinert, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Coca Cola; Eline Andersen, Event and Communication Manager, Sport Event Denmark; and Phillip Michler, Director of Mega Events, Proprojekt.

The next seminar is now being planned and will take place in 2016.