Trust is an active choice; one which some companies often underestimate as they don’t realize the value of a culture based on trust, and that can have both ethical and commercial consequences. This year, I spent my summer holiday in Vietnam where I stayed in…

A hallmark of the best top managers I have met and know has always been – and still is – that they are guided by their intuition. Based on this, they´d decide which move they believed to be the right one, and then analyses confirm…

This column was originally written for a Danish audience, so I’m going to start with some context before diving into the story. In Denmark, the process for applying to university differs depending on which programme you’re applying for. For most programmes, you’ll be offered a…

In the summer of 2016, I went on an educational journey for the sole purpose of reconnecting with myself so I could practice better self-leadership – because a good leader needs to know how to lead oneself. I flew to Bali where I climbed a…

Through the years, several managers have told me that they choose their enemies with care. The question is whether it would be better to switch focus and instead choose your friends with care. If you start focusing on the positive, your enemies lose their power….

Three years ago, I found myself in an unfamiliar situation. In connection with a company outsourcing project, I had phased out my own function and my colleagues and I in the top management team had to find new jobs. This left us with somewhat of…

The energy from an otherwise dynamic job interview was fading, and as I was driving home, I was still processing the surprising question: “Can you be a bitch?” I was speechless. I had considered the question for another moment and answered “No, and I wouldn’t…

The Danish government recently formed a panel of talented entrepreneurs and with it, they have chosen to ask those that know the recipe for growth what is needed to successfully increase growth in Denmark. Among other things, increasing growth requires a showdown with traditional management….

During several years of work with leading executives, talent development, and more than 2000 personal assessments, I haven’t yet seen any examples of extreme sports improving the performance of employees. I’ve seen how sports can increase performance level, but not the extreme kind. On the…

“Nothing is so bad that it’s not good for something” is an old Danish expression which my grandmother always used to say. When I’m looking at the desperate need to enhance skilled leadership – not just good but skilled leadership – COVID-19 has provided a…