Why clarity, qualifications and trust are becoming underestimated competitive factors in executive search
A conversation with Tina Krogmann, Managing Director Human Resources/Labour Director at DB Sicherheit GmbH, and Jorma Schüch, Principal Public Sector at HAGER Executive Consulting.
There are organisations that cannot afford any ambiguity.
While hybrid working models, psychological safety and new leadership models are being debated in conference rooms and at management meetings, elsewhere business simply carries on — at night, at weekends, under pressure, without a break. In the security environment, reliability is not just a phrase in the mission statement. It is a daily operational requirement.
Tina Krogmann knows this from many years of experience. In conversation with Jorma Schüch, Principal Public Sector at HAGER Executive Consulting, she talks about which leadership principles really prove their worth in 24/7 operations — and why the answers developed by the security environment extend far beyond the industry itself.
Leadership becomes concrete
Leadership is a term that is often dressed up in grand concepts. In continuous operation, there is little time for concepts.
Those who bear responsibility in a security-critical environment do not work according to ideal office hours. Decisions must be reliable — regardless of the time of day, personal circumstances or proximity to management. What counts is not revealed in annual reviews, but in the moment.
For Krogmann, good leadership boils down to three factors: clarity, reliability and genuine interest in people. That sounds simple — and it is. Intentionally so.
Unclear expectations and contradictory messages have an immediate effect in a 24/7 system. Friction arises precisely where there is a lack of guidance. Clarity, on the other hand, relieves the pressure — not only on the manager, but on the entire team. In doing so, Krogmann dispels a common misconception: presence does not mean control. Especially in structures where leadership is not physically tangible at all times, trust becomes the decisive factor. And trust is not created through supervision, but through attitude — through listening every day, through explaining decisions, through a visible willingness to take responsibility before being asked to do so.
The job market demands honest answers
At the same time, the labour market is changing at a pace that many companies have not yet fully come to terms with. Linear career paths are becoming less important. Breaks, changes, reorientations — these are no longer the exception, but the norm.
For DB Sicherheit GmbH, the conclusion is clear: without strategically planned lateral entry and consistent internal training, it will not be possible to meet future staffing requirements. The focus is deliberately shifting away from the perfect CV — towards motivation, attitude and development potential.
This is not a stopgap solution, but rather a strategic repositioning. Career change opens up new perspectives — for people looking for new paths and for organisations in need of fresh approaches. However, the decisive factor lies in support: those who fail to structure this transition systematically will squander the potential they had hoped for.
Krogmann therefore sees internal training not as an additional service, but as an investment in stability. Those who grow within their own company not only build up expertise — they also build loyalty. In environments with a high level of responsibility, this is not a soft factor, but a hard stability advantage.
The real question behind all strategy papers
Despite the wide variety of topics, the challenge of the coming years boils down to a single, serious key question: How can reliability be achieved in a world of constant change?
This question changes how priorities need to be set. Managers remain the strongest lever — not through more rules and regulations, but through clarity, a lived attitude and targeted empowerment. Those who neglect this will lose out in the very area where it matters most.
At the same time, a principle is gaining relevance that still has too little strategic weight in many companies: qualification instead of replacement. Those who primarily replace think short-term. Those who consistently develop strengthen their own organisation from within. This is precisely where structural resilience arises — with measurable effects on stability, performance and the quality of leadership.
Employee retention also follows a clear pattern. People stay where three things come together: meaning, clarity and perspective. Those who understand what they are working for, what is expected of them and how they can develop build a connection to the company that is more resilient than any retention programme.
And another topic that Krogmann explicitly removes from the category of ‘soft factors’: health and resilience. In demanding work environments, these are not optional additions to the annual programme, but operational prerequisites for performance. Those who ignore this will pay the price elsewhere.
Against this backdrop, Krogmann clearly sees HR as a shaper of framework conditions — not as an administrative support function.
AI: a tool that unlocks leadership — not replaces it
Digitalisation is also advancing in the security environment. Processes are becoming more efficient, workflows more transparent and data more usable. At Krogmann, the discussion about artificial intelligence is deliberately conducted in a sober manner — without euphoria, but also without resistance.
The real added value does not lie in maximum automation. It lies in regaining time — for genuine conversations, for development, for the decisions that truly require leadership. AI, used correctly, creates precisely this space.
What remains non-negotiable is responsibility. Especially when decisions affect people, no algorithm is the right decision-maker. Clear priorities apply in sensitive areas — diligence, data protection and a sense of responsibility take precedence over any considerations of efficiency. AI can relieve the burden on HR. It cannot replace leadership.
The moment when leadership truly begins
A pattern that Krogmann has taken from her own career can be summed up in one sentence: growth does not happen when everything has been clarified.
The defining step for her was her first executive role as managing director in 2016. Not as the culmination of a long period of preparation — but as a leap into a role that was bigger than the security she had at the time. Looking back, what she describes as crucial is not the position itself, but the decision that preceded it: the willingness to say yes before all the questions had been answered.
This is not romanticising risk. It is a sober observation about leadership: those who wait until they are fully prepared often wait too long. Impact does not come from perfection — it comes from the ability to remain clear-headed in the face of uncertainty and still make decisions. For companies looking for leaders today, this is a relevant question: what are we actually looking at — the flawless CV or the moments when someone took responsibility even though it was uncomfortable?
What this means for organisations and the filling of leadership roles
From HAGER Executive Consulting’s perspective, these insights confirm a trend that can be observed across all industries. The challenge that the security environment makes particularly visible is not specific to any one sector — it is the fundamental problem faced by every organisation that needs to remain stable while also changing.
Companies that treat leadership not as a sure-fire success but as a skill that must be systematically developed will navigate successfully. They will view lateral entry not as a stopgap measure but as a strategic opening. They will consistently prioritise training their own people over external replacements. And they will use technology where it provides real relief — without relinquishing responsibility.
When filling critical leadership positions in executive search, it is becoming increasingly clear that, in addition to professional excellence, clarity, decision-making ability and leadership effectiveness are what determine lasting impact. It is not the finished profile — but the person behind it.
The silent competitive advantage
Our consulting practice at HAGER Executive Consulting paints a clear picture: conditions in the security environment are unique. The leadership principles that emerge there are not.
In a working world of constant change, it is not the organisation with the most initiatives that will win — but the one with the greatest clarity, the highest reliability and the most credible leadership. This is not a paradox. It is the most honest response to a time when everything is in flux.
