Dear Mr. Ehmer, you have been taking a public stand against right-wing extremism for years, including in a personal blog. Such clear words are unusual for a business executive. Let's put it this way: The silence was pretty loud for a long time.
Recently, I think engagement has increased - and that's important. Anyone who has a voice should use it. Of course, the statements must then be linked to an attitude and clear goals - and not just a short post on a topic that is currently being discussed publicly. But I hope that the reporting on the AfD's deportation plans has made us aware of where we already stand and how much the political discourse has shifted.
Studies show that many top managers fear that a political statement could scare off stakeholders, such as customers or employees. What experience did you have?
I clearly remember an event in my previous role as CEO at Apollo Optik. During a discussion, a branch manager asked me how she should deal with an employee being discriminated against by customers because she wore a headscarf. At the time I spontaneously said that if someone misbehaves like that and doesn't apologize, you can throw that person out. We are happy to forego sales. I then shared this attitude with everyone in the company via email and posted it on my blog. In the weeks that followed, many employees thanked me for my open words. Managers should not allow themselves to be misled by right-wing narratives. The majority of people support our democracy, our constitutional state and our fundamental values. And I believe it is an important signal when this majority makes itself more audible.
Where do you see the special role of managers?
It is a company's duty to support employees who are racially insulted or experience discrimination. Managers must make it clear: We will not tolerate this. Racism and discrimination have consequences, regardless of the other successes and achievements of the discriminating person.
Have you already separated from employees for this reason?
Yes. There weren't a ton of incidents, but there were a few. I remember
for example
a pretty blatant case of homophobia that led to the breakup. In moments like this, I honestly don't care how watertight this separation is under labor law. In order to protect the affected employees and remain credible, managers must act. You can't say that this is important to us, but we don't have the courage to draw conclusions.
The workplace is one of the few remaining places in society where people with different opinions and viewpoints come together. This is also an opportunity to stay connected as a society. How can managers deal with this responsibility?
It's not about making rules or giving a political opinion. As a manager, however, I am responsible for ensuring that the famous red lines are not crossed, for example when people are discriminated against and their dignity is attacked. I am not making any voting recommendations. But I say publicly: think about who you are voting for and what statements this party makes. I try to be as precise as possible and to differentiate communicatively between the AfD and my statements about people who vote for this party. For example, I do not believe or claim that all AfD voters are right-wing radicals. But they support a party that not only tolerates people in its midst, but also has people in leading positions who, with legal protection, can be described as fascists.
In the podcast “Because of good leadership” you can find out more about Ehmer’s personal journey as CEO and his thoughts on values-based leadership.
In “Because of good leadership – the honest leadership podcast,” Antonia Götsch, editor-in-chief of Harvard Business Manager, speaks every two weeks with guests from business, science and sport about leadership, strategy and management. “Because of good behavior” appears in the podcast here every 14 days, as well as on Spotify and Apple.