A DREAM BETWEEN INTERVIEWS, ANALYSES & PRACTICAL REPORTS

A conversation with Peter Drucker* during a night full of culture

“Visions? If you have visions, you should see a doctor,” Helmut Schmidt is said to have remarked. But what about dreams? I had several conversations in recent weeks – with truly brilliant minds, leaders who take their responsibilities seriously… it was truly inspiring. And then, one quiet moment, between reading an interview excerpt, sipping an espresso, and reading a book on strategic management, it came to me – my nocturnal dialogue with Peter Drucker.

Scene: A refined library. Leather chair. Soft jazz in the background. Christoph sits, a notebook on his lap. Suddenly, Peter Drucker steps out of the shadows and adjusts his glasses.

Peter Drucker: “You sit there as if you have just made a decision and are summoning all your courage. Is it the culture that is calling you – or the question of whether it can succeed…?”

Christoph Strömer (smiles): Both. In recent months, I've conducted in-depth interviews with CEOs, supervisory board members, and private equity partners on the topic of culture in the context of M&A. It was more or less clear to everyone: culture isn't the icing on the cake that can simply be omitted as part of a diet.

Peter Drucker (nods slowly): “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – that’s something I’m often accused of. I never said it like that. Rather, I believe that culture determines whether strategy even gets digested. Culture decides whether people are even willing to engage with something new.

Christoph Strömer: That's exactly what I felt. Especially in sales within family-run businesses or in buy-and-build strategies... it becomes clear there: culture often works subliminally – but it determines whether synergies materialize or hopes are dashed.

Peter Drucker: Then say it. Without hesitation. Culture is not a soft factor. It is the medium through which leadership is enabled and strategy becomes reality. Not above it, not beside it—within it. If it is ignored, integration fails. Not because of a lack of tools, incorrect procedures, or methodology, but because a lack of resonance prevents traction from developing.

Christoph Strömer: That's why I developed the cultural landscape map – not as a change management tool, but as a strategic navigation aid. It's not about measures. It's about clarity, orientation, and resonance. Governance managers, CEOs, and decision-makers – they all said: We need maps to plan the right route and make informed decisions.

Peter Drucker (smiles and points to the open notebook): That's why you also write "Culture feeds strategy for breakfast, lunch and beyond" in your notebook… I like that. And you serve the menu with the menu?

Christoph Strömer: I provide the framework. With a clear focus on trust, leadership structures, and connectivity. No esotericism. No change management jargon.

Peter Drucker: And how is the market reacting?

Christoph Strömer: It's a nuanced view. Some in private equity or shareholder circles say: "Seems logical, but can you calculate the benefit for my colleagues..." One person told me something along the lines of: "Buy-and-build only works if I consider the cultural architecture early on." And almost everyone sees: The topic is ripe – it just needs the right language and authentic and passionate translators.

Peter Drucker: Language. My favorite instrument. Explaining culture in a whiteboard is like pouring water into Excel. But when you talk about "trust as a leadership currency" or "cultural compatibility"—then people listen.

Christoph Strömer: That's why I prefer to speak as a navigator. Not as a coach. Not as a consultant. But as someone who helps to recognize shallows, to draw the maps for new routes – and not to get caught in currents that one could have anticipated.

Peter Drucker (leaning back): You're making progress. But consider this: A navigator needs two things – the trust of the crew and the freedom to think differently. Both come only through credibility. You don't gain that through methodology. You gain it through lived experience.

Christoph Strömer: “Yes, lived and reflected experience. I bring my own story with me: I was an employee in a corporation, became a founder and entrepreneur – I handed over my small life's work and have now started a new one that is truly close to my heart. I know change, crisis, and real challenges from many professional, but also personal perspectives: I have experienced them myself, accompanied them, moderated them – and as a mediator, I have reconnected people in times of crisis. Today I know: Strategic clarity does not arise from methods or measures. It arises from an inner compass – from clarity, decisiveness in the matter, and connection with people.”

Peter Drucker (raises an eyebrow, takes off his glasses): “A rare admission, good man. Most prefer to hide their turning points. But that is precisely where leadership lies: in the willingness to reflect on one's own attitude. You are right – and perhaps you will allow me to touch on a topic that has always been particularly close to my heart.”

(He leans back, his voice becomes quieter, but more insistent.)

“Companies are not machines. They are social institutions. Their task is not just efficiency – but impact. And their impact unfolds not in balance sheets, but in society. Culture is not an add-on, but their internal operating system.”

Christoph Strömer (hesitating, then resolutely): “That’s precisely why I’m working on the topic of corporate culture in a way that doesn’t just focus on shareholder benefits. Instead, it shows that those who ignore culture jeopardize the legitimacy of their actions – and those who take culture seriously assume responsibility. My moonscratch, my vision, is the conviction that business decision-makers and ambitious leaders will be culturally astute and reflective, so that they can align people, companies, and thus our society for the future.”

Peter Drucker (seriously, almost emphatically): “You are putting into words something that many have long felt. It is not the lack of data that is holding us back – but the lack of an inner compass. We need leadership that can read the currents of culture – not as an add-on, but as a strategic steering instrument.”

Christoph Strömer (gazing thoughtfully out the window): “Perhaps this is precisely the new entrepreneurial responsibility of shareholders and managers: not only focusing on goals, measures, risks, and results, but also navigating with an experienced eye for the horizon and an internal map of culture. Because those who strengthen culture, harness its power, and develop it are not only acting strategically and creatively – but also shaping civilization…”

Peter Drucker (stands up): Our Western societies could really use this support right now… Then go! Tell the decision-makers. Not as a missionary. But as an enabler. Culture is not the opposite of strategy – it is its condition.

Christoph Strömer (looks up): And what if I fail?

Peter Drucker (smiles as he disappears): Then you're failing at the right thing. And that's already a lot.

I woke up. No more jazz music, no leather chair. Just my notebook. In it I wrote:

„Culture feeds strategy for breakfast, lunch and beyond“

* Note: This conversation is purely fictional; inspired by the books of Peter Drucker, my interviews, and my practice. No connection to his estate/foundation.