Krešimir Buntak
Episode · #523
POSLOVNA ŠPICA Krešimir Buntak
Guest Krešimir BuntakHosted by Saša PetarMay 3, 2026
Krešimir Buntak
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Krešimir Buntak has spent decades navigating the complexities of management, from his own small business in the early 90s to leading a major industrial enterprise and shaping public administration. Now a professor, he argues that while the operating environment constantly shifts, the core principles of effective management remain constant. He challenges the common reframing of 'crises' as mere 'challenges,' insisting that real problems demand a distinct, often uncomfortable, approach. This conversation offers a seasoned perspective on what truly separates an effective manager from one merely occupying a title, especially when times get tough.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Buntak asserts that 'the concepts of management are always the same,' regardless of whether an organization is public, private, profit-driven, or not. Management is a science with universal principles, not just an art dictated by specific industry or market conditions. A manager's job is to master these enduring concepts, even as their application adapts to context.
02
The host observes that 'in good times, anyone can be a manager,' implying that only crises truly reveal leadership capability. The real test of a manager isn't navigating smooth sailing, but making decisive, often difficult, choices when external pressures or internal failures threaten the organization. Crisis management demands a different kind of leader than periods of stability.
03
Buntak distinguishes between 'challenges' and 'problems,' pushing back on the popular notion that every crisis is merely an 'opportunity.' He states that after 25 years in management, 'problems are truly problems.' The modern tendency to soften language around difficulties can obscure their true nature. A manager's first duty is to accurately name a problem for what it is, rather than dilute its urgency with euphemisms.
04
Buntak describes different types of managers — pioneers who launch, coaches who stabilize, and crisis managers who cut and resolve quickly. He notes that 'it's difficult for one person to function at the head of a company through all phases of its life cycle.' A company's growth demands different leadership profiles. Attempting to fit one manager into every stage is less effective than assembling a diverse team whose skills align with the organization's current needs.
05
Buntak connects a lack of national competitiveness to the prevalence of 'self-taught managers' — those who lack formal training and are appointed based on connections rather than competence. Relying on informal appointments or personal ties for leadership positions, rather than proven knowledge and skill, creates systemic weaknesses that hinder an organization's long-term competitive standing.
06
Buntak states that 'those who think preventively about the future are quality managers, and when a crisis comes, then they are crisis managers.' Effective management is primarily about foresight and proactive adaptation, continuously listening to the organization and its environment. Crisis management, by contrast, is a distinct, often autocratic, role focused on immediate, decisive action to contain damage.