On September 14, 2022, our annual evening forum took place at the World of Living in Rheinau-Linx. The topic of this year’s event was: “Team and a sense of unity: How a group becomes a team.” The guest speaker was handball legend Heiner Brand.

In his very personal and engaging presentation, Brand explained his formula for success in transforming a group of individualists from different clubs – all highly motivated standout players – into a goal-oriented, cohesive unit. The presentation focused on the following points:

• The necessity of team hierarchies
• Dealing with competition within the team
• Managing tension and conflicts in the team
• The importance of basic rules of conduct and discipline
• Preventing a loss of motivation
• Key criteria for successful team leadership

A lively Q&A session followed the presentation, during which Brand provided insights – along with numerous anecdotes – into how harmony and cohesion and thereby, indirectly, the performance potential of a top team can be influenced by its coaching staff. Two key takeaways were that seemingly minor details can set positive or negative group dynamics in motion, and that a high level of reliability is essential for the team’s trust in its leadership.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Heiner Brand for his very interesting and passionate remarks on the requirements for creating a sense of unity. His presentation was, in the truest sense of the word, an inspiration, shedding light on a wide range of aspects worth considering from the perspective of both a leader and a team member.

Many thanks also to the World of Living team, the band Unikat, and the Blickwürdig agency for their roles in organizing and hosting this great evening.