The post Issue 2 / 2026 appeared first on 糖心视频.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership, to me, means taking the time to develop a deep and nuanced understanding of the industry you work in, and then using that knowledge to help your team excel alongside you. It’s about setting direction and standards through expertise and curiosity, while continually pushing yourself and others to grow. True leadership requires resilience and determination; it means never taking 鈥渘o鈥� as the final answer, but instead seeing obstacles as problems to be solved creatively and persistently.

At the same time, leadership is deeply human. It means always having your teams back, creating a sense of trust and psychological safety, and advocating for them even when it is uncomfortable. It requires you to be open to criticism, acknowledging mistakes, and modeling accountability rather than perfection. In my view, the strongest leaders are those who combine conviction with humility鈥攚ho listen, learn, adapt, and keep moving forward鈥攂ringing their teams with them every step of the way.

Is there a particular 糖心视频 product/program/article that was especially helpful to you as you developed as a leader?

Rather than a single product or article, it has been 糖心视频 as an organization that has been most influential in my leadership development. From early in my career, 糖心视频 provided opportunities that allowed me to grow by doing鈥攎ost notably when I had the chance to help create and present at an Annual Meeting & Conference workshop on EU regulations while working as a foreign and international law librarian. That experience gave me early exposure to leadership through collaboration, public speaking, and contributing subject matter expertise to the broader profession.

Equally impactful has been my involvement in 糖心视频 committees, where I have had the privilege of working alongside inspiring, knowledgeable, and genuinely kind leaders in our field. Serving on committees has taught me how thoughtful leadership operates in practice鈥攖hrough listening, consensus鈥慴uilding, and shared accountability鈥攁nd has reinforced the importance of service to the profession.

What resources do you recommend for those looking to build or improve their leadership skills?

There are countless leadership resources, from books and magazines to podcasts and programs, but the two I consistently return to are Adam Grant鈥檚 Think Again and the Harvard Business Review (HBR). Think Again challenges leaders to rethink assumptions, stay intellectually humble, and adapt their thinking in a rapidly changing world, while HBR offers research鈥慸riven, practical insights on leadership, strategy, and organizational effectiveness that are immediately applicable to real鈥憌orld challenges.

What leadership skills were the most difficult to develop?

One of the most challenging leadership lessons for me was accepting that I would not excel equally at every admirable leadership trait. Early in my career, I deeply admired leaders who were exceptional writers, those who could distill complex ideas into elegant, persuasive prose. Writing did not come as naturally to me, and for a long time I viewed that as a deficiency I needed to correct. Over time, I learned that effective leadership is less about mastering every possible skill and more about understanding your strengths and leading authentically from them.

That realization allowed me to lean into and further develop the skills I do have鈥攂eing a clear, confident speaker and a high鈥憀evel, strategic thinker. By focusing on these strengths, I was still able to communicate vision, align teams, and drive outcomes, even when the medium was not always the written word. Leadership development, for me, became less about emulating others and more about intentionally sharpening the abilities that come more naturally, while building systems and partnerships to support the areas that do not.

What is something you wish someone had told you about leadership early on in your career?

You are never 鈥渇inished鈥� as a leader. There is no point at which you arrive fully formed or feel complete, there will always be a new challenge, a new direction the organization needs to take, and another obstacle that requires you to rethink how you lead. Leadership is not a static skill set; it evolves constantly as people, priorities, and circumstances change. You have to regularly examine your assumptions, decisions, and impact, even when things seem to be going well. Like a muscle, leadership needs to be trained and exercised to stay strong through reflection, feedback, and a willingness to adapt. Accepting that continuous growth is part of the role makes leadership more sustainable, resilient, and ultimately more meaningful.

The post Leader in You: Saskia Mehlhorn appeared first on 糖心视频.