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Join us in person: Explore how a master's or MBA program from ESMT Berlin can transform your career in Europe and beyond.

In this week's CEO Pick, Jan Hagen, professor of Management Practice, writes about how psychological safety cannot be mandated directly. It emerges from consistent leadership behavior that encourages openness, admits uncertainty, and treats mistakes as learning opportunities. Leaders build it by shaping interactions and norms so that people feel safe to speak up, challenge ideas, and contribute without fear of negative consequences.

For Merkur, Jörg Rocholl, president of ESMT, together with Verena Pausder and Gerhard Cromme, wrote an article which argues that Germany’s strict dismissal protection rules make layoffs very costly and slow, which discourages investment and growth, especially for startups and high-growth companies. It proposes loosening these rules, particularly for high earners and introducing clearer, faster severance processes, inspired by more flexible systems in countries like Denmark that combine easier hiring and firing with strong social security.

For Forbes, Bianca Schmitz, lecturer at ESMT, wrote an article arguing that success depends less on the idea of selling solutions and more on aligning capabilities, incentives, and execution early, otherwise strategies collapse before reaching the customer. Companies often shift to “solutions” strategies expecting growth, but many fail before signing a single contract because they promise outcomes they can’t deliver, avoid real innovation risks, and struggle with internal coordination

For Tagesspiegel Background, Joachim Wuermeling, leading ESMT's Digital Euro Hub, wrote an article about how digital currencies, especially the Euro, are gaining importance.

Angeliki Papachroni, our Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship faculty lead, and Anita Garbin, an MIE student, will discuss how an entrepreneurial mindset helps turn ideas into real business impact. Suitable for all prospective master's students.

Corporate innovation is reshaping how companies grow, but what skills do you actually need and how does the Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) help you build them? Innovation today goes beyond startups and increasingly happens inside large organizations, driven by entrepreneurial thinking.

Do you have questions about our degree programs? Book a one-to-one consultation in London on July 6 and explore how an MSc or MBA from ESMT Berlin can accelerate your career.