Als Mensch führen
Leading as a human being. For people who take responsibility.
"You shall not steal other people's problems either." This sentence, spoken by a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, changed my view of leadership – and stands at the beginning of “Als Mensch führen”.
The book brings together twelve principles that have proven durable across more than 20 years of leadership responsibility and more than 1,000 hours of coaching. The book is written in German.
What the book is about
The book does not offer one model that explains everything. It describes situations that keep returning in leadership: a conflict that cannot be solved on the content level. A decision that is not ripe yet. A team member whose development cannot be accelerated. And the moment you notice that someone else's problem has quietly become your own.
Each principle is written so that it can be tested against your own working day: the situation, the mechanics behind it, and a question you can ask yourself.
Who it is written for
For leaders who already carry responsibility and want to sharpen their effect. For people in their first leadership role who are looking for orientation. For managing directors and founders moving from doing to leading. And for HR leaders who do not want to think of leadership development as a catalogue of trainings.
Twelve principles in three clusters
I. Stance
Where leadership begins, long before any method is applied.
- 01Responsibility stays with the other person.
- 02Effectiveness comes from the circle of influence, not the circle of concern.
- 03Authenticity beats facade.
- 04Leadership needs courage and inner independence.
II. Leadership craft
What actually helps between conflict, decision and priority.
- 05No content level while emotions are in the way.
- 06The second before the reaction is the lever.
- 07Not deciding can be the mature decision.
- 08Time management is really priority management.
III. People and development
How people grow, and why development cannot be accelerated.
- 09People before strategy.
- 10Development cannot be forced, and detours are part of the path.
- 11A change of perspective creates new solution space.
- 12Up is not the only direction.
Book details
- Title
- Als Mensch führen
- Author
- Thomas Knoop
- Language
- German
- ISBN (paperback)
- 978-3-00-087978-4
- E-book release
- 13 August 2026
- Paperback release
- 20 August 2026
- Pages
- 154 pages
- Publisher
- Selbstverlag Thomas Knoop
The e-book is available. The paperback will be published on 20 August 2026.
Read on
The twelve principles are laid out in full on this site, with links to the matching articles. My first book remains available.