Andreas Herz – Would you like it a little faster?
Top Speed – Blessing or Curse?
"Accelero, ergo sum" – I accelerate, therefore I am. Today, we move through life at breathtaking speed. But what does this mean for our health, our body, and our mind?
A Swedish online service reports internet speeds of up to 40 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) – made possible by a new modulation technology. A DVD in HD quality can now be downloaded from the internet in just two seconds. But our hardware, meaning our body, can’t keep up with this pace.
Biological Limits of Acceleration
While machines are becoming faster and more powerful, our brain remains a biological system with fixed limits. Although it can register sensory impressions in just 0.003 to 0.004 seconds, it takes a full three seconds to compile this information into a comprehensible whole.
The brain processes impressions at a base frequency of 30 to 40 milliseconds, which equates to 25 to 33 processing cycles per second. Only after three seconds do these stimuli form what we perceive as the present.
What Does the Present Mean for Humans?
Everything that falls within this three-second window is experienced as the here and now. A handshake lasting longer than that feels awkward. If we keep our eyes closed for more than three seconds while walking, we feel insecure. These three seconds are our mental anchor to reality.
Dangers of Chronic Stress and Inner Acceleration
Many of us are increasingly losing that anchor. The result: chronic stress, psychosomatic disorders, and mental illness. If we can’t escape the constant pressure to accelerate, the next crisis will hit us physically.
The symptoms of this development are already visible – even if we often choose not to see them.
HERZResilienz® – Resilience as a Leadership Skill
Andreas Herz developed the HERZResilienz® Leadership Training during his five-year battle with cancer. The goal: to recognize, control, and consciously harness one's own inner acceleration.
With this resilience-based approach, Herz supports both individuals and organizations through development processes. Because: knowledge and talent alone are just the beginning – real leadership requires more.
Meta-Skills – Key Factors of Modern Leadership
In a rapidly changing world, we need meta-competencies that go far beyond expertise. The 7 principles of Bushido were long considered a management guide:
- Calmness of mind
- Strength and energy
- Courage and dedication
- Silence, mindfulness, benevolence
- Wisdom and intuition
- Complete sincerity
- Honor and loyalty
Today, these principles reappear in the 7 Western resilience factors:
- Emotional regulation
- Impulse control
- Empathy
- Causal analysis
- Goal orientation
- Realistic optimism
- Self-efficacy
They are seen as the royal path to a new leadership culture, because:
Only those who can lead themselves are capable of leading others.
