Almost 20 years of project logistics experience have shaped Claudia Reinhold’s approach to leadership. Today, as Deputy Branch Manager at deugro Hamburg, she reflects on growing into responsibility, continuing to learn and developing a leadership style of her own.
Her career at deugro began as a trainee and has since taken her through different areas of project logistics and into branch management. We sat down with her to talk about that journey, how her understanding of leadership has evolved along the way, what it has meant to grow into leadership as a woman in project logistics, and why finding an individual approach has become increasingly important to her.
For her, that development has been gradual. Throughout her career, she has particularly valued remaining close to the operational side of project logistics, including being on site during the loading of heavy and oversized cargo and seeing how extensive preparation ultimately translates into execution.
“If you view lifelong learning as an opportunity rather than a burden, you bring an attitude that is essential in the project logistics industry.”
Developing a leadership style of her own
At the beginning of her career, being relatively introverted and working in an environment with confident, predominantly male managers influenced her perception of what leadership was supposed to look like. The personalities she saw in management did not necessarily reflect her own, influencing her early idea of what leadership was supposed to look like.
“At the beginning of my career, I believed that being a rather introverted person meant I could never be a good leader.”
As her career developed, so did that perspective. Growing expertise, new responsibilities and experience working with different people gave her the opportunity to find an approach that suited her own personality rather than trying to reproduce the leadership style she had encountered earlier in her career.
“Today, I no longer try to imitate a supposedly ideal leadership style. Instead, I focus on developing my own. I am convinced that only those who lead authentically can truly motivate their teams and act as credible role models.”
Seeing more women take on leadership positions at deugro has reinforced that perspective, particularly because of the different personalities and approaches she sees represented.
Building confidence through experience
Part of growing into leadership has been learning to trust the perspective and expertise she brings to the room. Preparation remains important, as does knowing when to draw on subject-matter experts, but so does being willing to speak up when something needs to be questioned or examined more closely.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you are the only woman or the youngest person in a crowded meeting room.”
There is a practical reason behind that advice. A well-timed question can identify a weakness in a concept or implementation plan while there is still an opportunity to address it. It can also demonstrate professional judgment and, with each experience, make speaking up in similar situations feel more familiar.
Taking responsibility and building expertise
The same connection between confidence and experience comes through when she talks about ownership. As responsibilities grow, there will inevitably be subjects that are not yet familiar or areas where expertise still needs to be developed. For Claudia, that is not necessarily a reason to stay away from them.
“If you recognize that a topic needs attention, take ownership of it, even if you are not yet an expert.”
Taking responsibility can create an opportunity to build professional skills and develop knowledge that can ultimately benefit colleagues working on the same topic. It is an idea that reflects her own gradual development, with new responsibilities bringing new situations to understand and expertise to build.
Leading while continuing to learn
Continuous learning remains part of how she approaches leadership today. As markets, technologies and the wider working environment change, she sees adaptability as part of staying effective and continuing to develop solutions with the people around her.
“This mindset encourages me to lead by example when it comes to exploring new market segments and developing innovative logistics solutions together with our team.”
Looking back across almost two decades at deugro, expertise, confidence and leadership have developed alongside one another. The image of leadership she encountered early in her career has gradually given way to something more individual, shaped by experience and a clearer understanding of how she wants to work with the people around her.
Asking questions, stepping into unfamiliar subjects, drawing on the expertise of others and taking responsibility remain part of that development. Her leadership style has grown in much the same way as her career: gradually, through experience.
