Entrepreneurial – Or Is It Homeric – Leadership for STEM-Students

STEM students become entrepreneurs and / or managers. For both career paths, they need to acquire leadership skills. There is always a consistent set of leadership principles-which might best be learnt from historical examples. These are easier to memorize in crisis leadership situations. In addition, they deepen cultural education and, through this, the ability to connect and integrate, allowing intercultural commonalities to be discovered instead of deepening divisions. The didactical method is an introductory lecture and then an in-depth discussion. Participants formulate possible endings of classical problem settings, taking into view all important stakeholders. They apply classical leadership skills in a playful, creative attempt, individually and in teams, thereby practicing to employ something which resembles the entrepreneurial mindset. Most of the principles of that mindset might have been formulated about 3000 years ago for successful leaders. As it turns out, Entrepreneurial Leadership comes in many respects close to what I call Homeric Leadership. This course has been running successfully for years e.g. at the TU Ilmenau, the BHT Berlin and the Audi Academy in Györ as well as a VDI advanced training program.