Why identity is set to become the most critical management task of the next decade
Boardrooms across Germany are currently grappling with the same questions: How do we secure our competitive edge? How can we boost productivity? How do we integrate artificial intelligence into our workflows? And, in times of multiple crises, how do we establish a reliable strategic course?
Yet, there is one question that is asked surprisingly rarely. Perhaps because it is uncomfortable. Or perhaps because, until now, it hasn’t been recognised as an economic success factor:
Who are we, really – and what remains uniquely ours when technology can replicate almost everything? The answer to this question will determine more than just the strength of a brand. It will define how adaptable, credible, and resilient a company is in a world of permanent change.
For decades, economic success relied on scarce resources. In the industrial age, it was capital and production capacity. In the information age, it was knowledge. In the age of AI, these resources are rapidly losing their exclusivity.
Knowledge is available on demand. Strategies can be copied. Content is created in seconds. Communication can be automated. Even creativity is becoming scalable: it has never been easier to create something. And yet, it has never been harder to differentiate yourself from the rest.
The only thing that remains unique is a company’s identity. This does not refer to the often wishful brand image companies project of themselves. It is not about purpose statements or corporate design. Instead, identity describes a company's deep self-understanding: its history, cultural patterns, convictions, ambitions, and the way it makes decisions.
Identity is, therefore, far more than a communication tool. It is a strategic asset. Companies with a strong identity possess a reference point that guides them regardless of market cycles, technologies, or management fads. They make more consistent decisions, navigate transformations faster, and build trust with employees, customers, and investors. This is how Google, for instance, took on the AI challenge that was supposedly an existential threat to search engines and turned it into a strategic advantage in record time. In Germany, Edeka proves daily – from its advertising campaigns to the supermarket aisles – that "We love groceries" is not just a slogan, but the companies’ enduring mission.
Conversely, companies with weak identities wear themselves out. Strategies are adjusted to the rhythm of new market trends. Reorganisations follow reorganisations. Change processes remain ineffective because there is no clarity on the destination. Employer branding campaigns promise belonging, yet there is no shared understanding of what the organisation actually stands for.
The consequences are clear: employees lose their emotional connection. Customers perceive the company as interchangeable. Strategic initiatives fizzle out because they lack a common anchor.
With the rise of artificial intelligence, this problem is intensifying. AI doesn't just generate content; it reinforces existing patterns. Companies without a clear identity will simply replicate their mediocrity faster and more cheaply.
Furthermore, there is a technological quantum leap: in the future, it will not just be humans judging companies. Digital assistants and autonomous agents will compare providers, select service providers, and offer recommendations. They will look for consistent signals. For recurring attitudes. For distinct characteristics that differentiate organisations from one another. Therefore, the critical management question is not just: How can we use AI effectively? But rather: What identity should AI learn from us?
Identity is becoming a leadership imperative. Not as an additional communication initiative or another change process, but as the foundation of entrepreneurial capability.
A clearly defined and embraced identity fulfils three essential functions within an organisation. It is an anchor, providing origin and continuity. It is a compass, guiding decisions in uncertain times. And it is a motor, motivating people to support and help shape change.
German companies, in particular, hold significant potential here. Many have been shaped over decades by strong entrepreneurial personalities, have mastered technological upheavals, and have developed unique corporate cultures. However, in the course of permanent restructuring, international expansion, and short-term optimisation programmes, the awareness of these unique traits has been lost in many places.
For German firms especially, it is worth revisiting the question of their own identity. Not for nostalgic reasons, and not to formulate new brand messages. But because the ability to understand oneself will determine whether companies actively shape technological change – or merely react to it.
In the AI era, the loudest brand will not win. Nor the most efficient one. The winners will be the companies that, amidst exponential change, clearly answer who they are, what they stand for, and what role they want to play for people in the future. Because when technology can copy everything, identity remains the only thing that is truly irreplaceable.
Philipp Brune
is Chief Enabling Officer at Strichpunkt Identity which supports companies throughout their identity-driven transformation.