Leadership in large SAP programs is not a textbook topic.

It is a constant balancing act – between control and trust, structure and freedom, expertise and letting go.

I'll be honest: I've also slipped into micromanagement. Not because I wanted to – but because the pressure from above was high and I was about to lose overview. At some point you organize meetings, prioritize tasks, dictate processes – and suddenly realize: you're no longer leading, you're managing.

But this is exactly what happens in many large programs: The tighter the timelines, the stronger the reflex to control everything yourself. But real leadership works differently.

1. Micromanagement – Why It's Tempting (and When It Helps)

When deadlines get tight, you reach for control. That's human. But control is not a substitute for trust. Sometimes it helps in the short term to prevent chaos – but in the long term it prevents personal responsibility.

What helped me was introducing Weekly Goals: We sit down with teams to decide what's really important this week. Not a reporting circus, but a shared focus moment. Now teams enter their goals themselves – and we only briefly discuss them in the stand-up.

This keeps management clear without tipping into control.

2. How Much Leadership Is Enough?

One of the most difficult questions: How much structure does a program need so everyone moves in the same direction – and how much freedom do sub-project leaders need to feel responsible?

I've learned:

• Processes are good when they provide orientation – bad when they prevent creativity.
• Uniform formats (e.g., for meeting minutes or sprint reviews) create comparability – but the path there can remain individual.

Leadership means setting guardrails, not prescribing the path. Today I prefer to give principles ("What should be achieved?") rather than checklists ("How exactly should it happen?").

3. Subject Matter Expert or Leader – When Should I Keep Quiet?

That's hard. Especially when you're deep in the topic yourself. You know how it could run better. And yet you have to learn not to comment on every detail.

I try to ask myself two questions in such moments:

• "Does my interference advance the project – or just my ego?"
• "Do I really trust my team right now – or do I just want to impose my vision?"

Often silence is the hardest, but also the wisest leadership decision. Because nothing demotivates capable sub-project leaders faster than signaling to them: "I know better anyway."

4. What Teams Expect Today

Leadership has changed. Teams today no longer expect someone to dictate everything – but that someone provides framework, orientation and backing.

Clarity, transparency and trust are more important than "perfect planning status". Especially in SAP programs, where everything is complex and dynamic, teams don't need heroes – they need protection from unnecessary pressure.

I see my role today like this: I filter the pressure coming from above so the team below can still breathe.

5. Good Teams – and When to Pull the Plug

This is the most unpopular but most honest side of leadership: Not every team works, and not every person fits.

Good teams don't happen by accident. They need shared values, trust and clear communication. And sometimes also the decision that someone is not (anymore) part of it.

I try not to see this as failure – but as part of responsibility. Because a team member who permanently blocks frustrates everyone in the end. Sometimes letting go is the greatest service you can do for the team.

Conclusion – Leadership as a Balancing Act

Leadership in large SAP programs means for me today:

• Filter pressure instead of passing it on
• Set guardrails instead of prescribing paths
• Share responsibility instead of exercising control

Or more simply put: I don't want my team to work for me – I want us to deliver together.