Science
My objective is to offer organizational developers, researchers, and schoolers a view of pivotal leadership themes that matter in the context of todays challenges that organzations face.
My academic background spans from 1981-2002. I earned a PhD in poliltical and social sciences (Dr. disc. pol.) from the University of Göttingen from 1998-2002. My dissertation, "Optimal Action - Using the Example of High Speed", explored psychological regulation in high-performance environments such as sport and aviation. Though I aspired to an academic career, circumstances prevented me from pursuing it further. From 1995-1997, I obtained an M.A. in Economics and Performance Psychology from the University of Ottawa. To finance my studies, I conducted leadership and motivation seminars for Swiss companies and universities, applying elite sports principles to business topics like high-pressure performance, team leadership, and sustainable success in competitive environments. I also hold an M.Sc. in Exercise Science from the ETH Zurich that I acquired from 1981-1985.
My concrete research interests focus on the following three key areas:
Organizational Leadership Development - Leading an Organization
How can organizations ensure high-quality, sustainable leadership, align leaders with strategy, develop them effectively, and leverage leadership quality for a competitive advantage? During my time as a management consultant, I contributed to the discussion with publications such as:
(28. November 2003)
Individual Leadership Development - Leading Self & Others
How can individuals achieve and sustain excellent expertise in their field? How can teams implement shared goals efficently and sustainably? My insights on these questions were shared in:
(01. April 2003)
Optimal Action - High Speed Environments
How can individuals perform optimally under sustained high-speed conditions? My doctoral research explored this question through qualitative Interviews with experts in sports and aviation. The findings highlight how increased speed reduces decision-making time, intensifies human-environment interaction, and heightens psychological regulation demands. My dissertation, "Optimal Action - Using the Example of High Speed" from the year 2002, combines practical insights from sports and aviation with theoretical models from multiple disciplines. The study also encourages readers to apply its findings to high-pressure scenarios in business and society. The thesis is published by GRIN Verlag in English and German.
Aditionally, select expert interviews from my research were featured in the Journal of Excellence, University of Ottawa.
Recent conference presentations
I regularly present and actively participate in scientific conferences, including the following:
International Society of Sport Psychology Conference, Hongkong 2025
Presented topic: "Optimal Action in High Speed Disciplines. An Empirical Approach to the Psychological Regulation of Action based on the Action Spaces of Speed Sports and Jet Aviation."
European Society of Work and Organizational Psychology, Prague 2025
Presented topic: "Optimal Action. Using the Example of High Speed. An Empirical Approach."
