Postimees hopes that the new EOK leader will now be able to focus on reconciling the sports community divided into camps and communicate with everyone face-to-face, regardless of personal sympathies.
The attendees complained that their emails went unanswered. Kaljulaid responded that she had been forced to clear out her mailbox, which had recently been flooded with abusive messages, leaving no capacity for work.
“I have managed this organization, but I have not been a leader. Because I haven’t had the time,» came another remarkable statement from Kaljulaid. According to the former president, fewer than ten people work at the EOK office, doing the work of a ministry: in other countries, this is handled by the sports ministry. She hasn’t had the time – but what exactly has she been doing?
The theme of being overworked was a recurring motif in Kaljulaid’s remarks. It is clear that a top executive cannot engage in micromanagement, although she mentioned ironically that those who lost confidence in her would have thought she should have done even more of it.
It appears that the ousted EOK president was unable to set the right priorities or delegate properly. Sometimes a leader must do the grunt work, but in doing so, they must understand when and what, for that is what distinguishes a leader from a manager. And direct communication with the Sildarud family should certainly have been one of the priorities. One doesn’t have to agree with everything in life, but the EOK president cannot act as a judge – their task is to ensure that athletes have everything necessary to achieve results, including and especially winning medals.
Postimees hopes that the new EOK leader will now be able to focus on reconciling the sports community divided into camps and communicate with everyone face-to-face, regardless of personal sympathies.
