Pierre Derivaz has led our organisation since August. The 37-year-old is committed to leading our team in a contemporary, agile way. In this interview, he explains how he understands and approaches his role.
Pierre, what does modern leadership mean to you?
Before we talk about modern leadership, I think there are timeless values that have always mattered — and always will: empathy, honesty, trust, and appreciation.
Beyond that, I see three aspects that are central to modern leadership:
- Healthy working: Preventing physical accidents as well as psychosocial (and digital) risks is a core responsibility for any leader.
- Individual needs: Where older leadership models may have been more uniform, employees today rightly expect their managers to respond to their individual circumstances, realities, and needs. This creates a constant balancing act with the principle of equal treatment — but I believe that consciously engaging with different needs, combined with clear communication, ultimately leads to better decisions.
- Flexible, digital teamwork: Teams today increasingly work digitally, asynchronously, and across different locations. Here, it's essential to ensure that responsibility goes hand in hand with accountability.
How do you experience the challenge of letting go — delegating responsibility to your team while still being confident that everything will work out?
Delegating responsibility isn't about letting go — it's a conscious decision to trust. I delegate when I know the other person is both capable and willing to take on that responsibility. I set out the framework and expectations as clearly as possible, and I remain available to help if questions or uncertainties arise. That's how I can be confident things will go well.
The Angestellte Schweiz team is a great example. We're fortunate to have not only highly skilled but also genuinely dedicated employees. That makes the decision to delegate an easy one — and our members can see the results. 😉
Psychological safety is a priority — how do you create an environment where your team feels secure, and how do you show them your trust?
I address mistakes — including my own — early, openly, and with respect. In team discussions, we're also very deliberate about separating the issue from the person and communicating as equals.
What does self-reflection mean to you?
Self-reflection means honestly and regularly questioning your own behaviour, the impact you have, and the decisions you make. I expect self-reflection from my team — and they have every right to expect me to hold myself to at least the same standard.
I often think of an anecdote about the actor James Stewart. After filming on The Man Who Knew Too Much, he would reportedly stay on set in the evenings and run through his lines again — not because he doubted everything, but because he wanted to be sure he'd given his best performance. That's a model I find genuinely inspiring: you don't need to endlessly second-guess yourself, but it's worth consciously asking, time and again, whether there might have been a better way — so you can learn from it next time.
How do you actively nurture your self-reflection?
I use our own app, DNA – die neuen Arbeitswelten, which offers practical guidance on leading in a flex-work environment and includes tools for self-reflection.
DNA-App: FlexWork einführen & neue Arbeitsformen gestalten | Schweiz
