A female manager is standing in a production warehouse with three employees; everyone is laughing happily.

Leadership at Knorr-Bremse. Adding value.

We have condensed our requirements and principles for good leadership into five core aspects. Our convictions, which guide our managers in their dealings with employees, are formulated in these Leadership Principles.

For Knorr-Bremse, good leadership means creating a working environment in which employees can fully realize their potential. We regard this as the basis for our company’s performance, its ability to innovative and its enduring success. All our activities are grounded in our corporate values. Our managers bear a special responsibility to breathe life into our values on a daily basis.

Transformational leadership: role model, mentor, inspiration

Our Leadership Principles guide our managers in this task. They are based on the concept of transformational leadership, which calls for leaders who:

  • aspire to be role models;
  • inspire their teams and fuel their desire to reach shared goals;
  • stretch, encourage and appreciate each individual;
  • fill their roles with meaning, so everyone understands the “why” behind what they do.

With these five core ideas, our managers lead our employees toward optimal collective performance and results. The basic prerequisite here is a genuine interest in other people, because this is what enables leaders to align each individual’s ongoing development with their personal strengths.

The Knorr-Bremse Leadership Principles

All our managers at Knorr-Bremse are given sufficient scope to strengthen their leadership quality on the basis of our guidelines, to review it on an ongoing basis and to further develop their personal leadership style. Learn more about the Leadership Principles at Knorr-Bremse:

Reflect

Leadership begins with an honest look at oneself. We examine our attitudes and actions, actively seek feedback and are always willing to take another look at our decisions. When change is necessary, we start with ourselves – because we are role models. We understand that authenticity and integrity are essential to genuine leadership.

Step Forward

Leading means stepping forward, not standing idle. We establish a clear direction and take the first step ourselves. We give our employees the space to flourish and develop innovative solutions of their own.

Engage

Targets are about numbers. Reaching them requires inspiration. We involve our people every step of the way and encourage them to actively shape our future. We inspire and motivate them – professionally and personally. We honor outstanding performance and celebrate our shared successes. Because every individual is crucial to attaining our collective goals.

Develop

Leaders create fertile ground for people to grow. For us, this also means recognizing the potential of our employees and fostering their growth. We encourage people to take an active role in shaping their own careers and do not place limits on their growth. We actively prepare candidates with potential for their next career step.

Execute

Strong leadership is not about words, it’s about results. We prioritize adding value for our customers and promoting the interests of our company. We make clear decisions to move toward our goals. Along the way, we motivate our employees, show our own initiative and take responsibility. In this way, leadership becomes the driving force for sustainable growth, for our company and for our people.