On 7 July 1974 in Munich, West Germany beat the Netherlands 2:1 in the World Cup final. Berti Vogts had been told to attack Johan Cruyff only 30 meters in front of his own goal. Vogts received a yellow card. Shortly afterwards he ran to the sideline and told the coach, Helmut Schön: Ich mach’ das jetzt auf meine Art. I will do it my way now. The German Football Association explains what that meant: konsequente Manndeckung, strict man-marking. Schön agreed, unwillingly. Under man-marking, each defender marks one opponent rather than a zone.
The Vocabulary of Taking People Along
die Leute mitnehmen
To take people along. A decision is explained until people understand it and support it.
jemanden da abholen, wo er steht
To pick someone up where he stands. To start from what the other person knows and thinks.
an einem Strang ziehen
To pull on the same rope.
jemandem Rückendeckung geben
To cover someone’s back. To support him openly.
Akzeptanz schaffen
To create acceptance.
Einvernehmen herstellen
To establish agreement.
Three Quarters of the Club
Section 33 of the German Civil Code sets the default rule for changing the statutes of a registered club. A club’s own statutes may provide otherwise. A change needs three quarters of the votes cast. A change of the club’s purpose needs the consent of all members. Members who are absent must give their consent in text form, for example by email.
On 1 June 2017, the members of VfB Stuttgart voted on moving the professional football department into a separate company. This required a three-quarter majority. 9,099 members voted, and 84.2 percent of the valid votes said yes. Daimler then paid 41.5 million euros for 11.75 percent of the new company.
The Bank That Had a Spokesman
In 2002, the head of Deutsche Bank’s management board was called the Sprecher des Vorstands, the spokesman of the board. That year, the Tagesspiegel explained what the title stood for. Nach dem so genannten Kollegialprinzip sollten Entscheidungen im Vorstand einvernehmlich getroffen werden. Under the collegial principle, decisions in the board were to be made by mutual agreement. Until then, the spokesman had mostly been seen as the first among equals.
The same article noted that the spokesman’s role was becoming more like that of a chief executive officer. Josef Ackermann was spokesman from 2002 to 2006. From 2006 to 2012, he was Vorsitzender des Vorstands, the chairman of the management board.
Changing Majorities Are Excluded
Wechselnde Mehrheiten sind ausgeschlossen. Changing majorities are excluded. The sentence is from the coalition agreement that the CDU, CSU and SPD signed in November 2005. The parliamentary groups of the coalition vote together in the Bundestag and in all bodies to which it sends members. In practice, this rules out either partner seeking majorities with the opposition.
Disputes go to the coalition committee. The agreement gives it a clear task. It führt in Konfliktfällen Konsens herbei. In cases of conflict, it brings about consensus.
Participative, at Eye Level
GLOBE is a large international study of culture and leadership. Two psychologists at German universities, Felix Brodbeck and Michael Frese, analyzed its data for Germany. With Mansour Javidan, they published a paper in 2002 titled Leadership made in Germany: Low on compassion, high on performance.
In 2004, Brodbeck described German leaders as oriented to the task, jedoch partizipativ um die besten Lösungen ringend, but struggling for the best solutions in a participative way. Their cooperation rests on die institutionell verankerte Partizipation auf Augenhöhe, participation at eye level that is anchored in institutions. In the GLOBE data, German managers express very high expectations that leaders be participative.
Three Quarters to Strike
Before IG Metall can call a strike, the members vote in an Urabstimmung, a ballot of the members. At least 75 percent of the members covered by the bargaining round must vote for the strike, in a secret ballot. The union’s executive board decides on the ballot at the request of the bargaining committee.
After a strike, the negotiated result goes to the members in a second ballot. This time, 25 percent yes is enough to accept it. With their vote, the members also declare that they agree with the result. The civil service federation dbb has similar thresholds, counted among those who vote.
The Members Approve the Coalition
In April 2025, the SPD put its coalition agreement with the CDU and CSU to a vote of all party members. About 85 percent voted yes. Turnout was 56 percent. The vote was valid only if at least 20 percent of the members took part.
The party had held such votes before. In 2013, 76 percent voted yes. In 2018, the youth wing campaigned against another grand coalition under the slogan NoGroKo. Even so, 66 percent voted yes. Turnout in both years was over 78 percent.
The Education Ministers Must Agree
The ministers of education of the sixteen states coordinate their policy in the Kultusministerkonferenz, the KMK. Since 2025, the school ministers meet in a conference under its roof. Its rules require unanimity for decisions that affect the state budgets, that serve uniform standards and mobility in education, that concern the conference itself, or that set up joint institutions. Other decisions need at least 13 of the 16 votes.
In 2003, the KMK’s secretary general warned that under unanimity ein einziges Land, a single state, could in theory block national education standards. In December 2004, a reform moved statements, recommendations and reports to a two-thirds majority. For decisions that cost money, the old rule stayed. Für finanzwirksame Beschlüsse bleibt das Einstimmigkeitsprinzip unabdingbar. For decisions with financial effect, unanimity remains indispensable.
In 2024, the KMK reorganized itself and kept unanimity in principle. In September 2024, it added a fallback for decisions on its own budget and its institutions. If unanimity fails, a clarification procedure follows. At the next round, 13 votes are enough.
The Vocabulary of Leaving It to Them
Das ist dein Bier.
That is your beer. It means that the matter is yours to handle. It can also sound dismissive.
in Eigenregie
Under one’s own direction.
auf eigene Faust
On one’s own fist. It means on one’s own initiative.
Das überlasse ich dir.
I leave that to you.
eigenverantwortlich
On one’s own responsibility.
Viele Wege führen nach Rom.
Many roads lead to Rome. The goal counts, not the route.
Hauptsache, das Ergebnis stimmt.
The main thing is that the result is right.
die Rückdelegation
Delegating back upward. Passing one’s own decision back up the hierarchy is considered improper. Whoever holds the authority to decide is obliged to use it.