RESILIENCE IN ACTION: LEVERAGE YOUR STRENGTHS TO SOLVE NEW CHALLENGES
I’m on a mission to help people access the inner resources that got them to where they are now - some flying up the corporate ladder, others starting their own thing.
My philosophy is simple: reactivate the strengths (superpowers) that helped them solve past problems to solve new ones.
Sometimes a new role requires a new skill or mindset.
The good news - strengths adapt and expand.
I’m currently helping a senior manager transfer his skill set from a regional to a global role.
It's not always easy, however, to articulate one's own superpowers…
In other words, Cheerleaders aren't always good at cheering for themselves.
It probably wasn’t easy for Superman to value his ability to "leap tall buildings”.
NO DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED
Attempting to articulate the strengths that have empowered me over my career, I looked at questions like “What makes me different?” and “What unique abilities do I bring to the table?”
This led me to 5 guiding principles that help me leverage my strengths whenever facing new challenges.
I believe they can empower you to do the same.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER: GUIDING PRINCIPLE 1
"That doesn't sound very special…nobody cares about that…” - I had to quiet the inner critic a few times during my reflection.
At times I’ve struggled with the feeling that “I don’t belong here” – especially when doing something in a non-conventional way.
However, my non-conventional background is what makes my journey unique. My unique perspective helps me connect to the unique challenges of my clients.
I believe that the story or advice I share helps people move forward on their challenges.
Over my 30-year career journey I’ve done exactly what that experienced manager is now attempting. On several occasions.
See blog photo of me between jobs “in transition” on ferry between France and Ireland on my first European adventure.
Incidentally, I have no doubt the senior global manager will succeed.
Is my opinion subjective?
Yes.
Based on personal experience?
Exactly.
MASTERY IS FREE: GUIDING PRINCIPLE 2
From Finance to IT and everything in between, I've coached dozens of professionals since 2010. Mostly for big corporates who expect big results - if unhappy with my work, they wouldn't ask me back.
For me, repeat business is the highest praise - the best feedback possible.
Despite extensive coaching experience since 2010, I'm not a traditional coach with a traditional certification.
I do have a professional license that qualifies to guide and support people, however. I’m a bona fide EAGT GPO.
Translation: Gestalt Practitioner in Organizations with The European Association of Gestalt Therapy.
Leading with the POWER OF PRESENCE and other transformative principles, Gestalt is the engine that drives my practice.
I sometimes tell people that I'm like a therapist…in a business context. That's actually a pretty good description considering I help solve problems for a living.
Soon after earning the title, I had the chance to learn about Organization Development (OD) by serving on the board of the Organization Development Network Europe (ODNE).
Incidentally, there’s no better way to learn than at the top - it's how I learned to snowboard. How I learned to coach, as mentioned.
Learning by doing is how I've learned most things, actually.
Without a doubt, the board role helped me extend my knowledge beyond Leadership Development (individual/team level) to Organization Development (group/org level).
Here’s the 3-step formula to master a new skill or ability:
Follow your curiosity
Have courage to pursue it
Build confidence by practicing it
It might not always be the best or safest way to master something. But it works.
It’s not always easy, but it’s always free.
ROAD TO MASTERY
Ideally, I would have taken a 2-year coaching accreditation course back in 2010 before helping the IT project manager get his project team unstuck.
Unfortunately, the global software roll-out couldn't wait...
I hit the books.
I'm eternally grateful to John Whitmore of GROW and the creators of Co-Active Coaching for my accelerated education.
You’d be surprised at how much good stuff is out there – if you’re willing to look!
Curiosity didn’t kill the cat. It saved it.
HEART FIRST, THEN HEAD: GUIDING PRINCIPLE 3
Inner critic: "If you want to be considered a professional _______, it's time to get this certification..."
Me: “Yeah, but I’d rather learn about…”
Inner critic: “That shiny coaching accreditation would be more valuable than that little-known one…”
Me: “Yeah, but I’m super interested in that one…”
AT THE CROSSROADS
For better or worse, whenever I've come to a career crossroads I’ve followed my heart, not my head.
Well, almost every time...
Over the past 10 years I've been asked a few times if I was an ‘Agile Coach’. Despite working in a very agile way, the title escaped me.
Nevertheless, I’ve always considered my approach very “agile” - if I think daily stand-up meetings will improve collaboration in a team, I don’t wait for a reason to offer advice.
So when I came across the teachings of OD giant Ed Schein I was thrilled to learn his best advice from 50+ years of practice: If you think of something that could help someone move forward, share it now, i.e. “provide help fast”.
Even though I wasn't super excited about the ‘Agile Professional’ certification course, I decided to go for it.
It came at the end of a very busy year, and I was tired. A UK-based company was offering a full virtual certification, which meant I didn't have to travel.
I always prefer personal development in person, but my exhaustion made the head-driven exception.
After an intense week of virtual learning with a competent trainer and engaged group of development professionals, I was fix und fertig. (“beyond tired” in German)
Funnily enough, exhaustion wasn't the problem. My heart wasn't into it.
Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for the title and new arsenal of tools and methods. However, if I had to take a test on what I learned that week, I'm pretty sure I'd fail.
What I did learn was this: for learning to stick, you need the heart’s buy-in.
The next time I'm motivated to earn a qualification based on potential external perception, I hope this case comes to mind.
Or rather, to heart.
YOU WILL LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO, WHEN YOU NEED TO: GUIDING PRINCIPLE 4
Apart from a brief stint in the finance industry after my studies, I've spent most of my career outside my home country.
In addition to 24 years in Germany, working on the European continent, I've worked on three others, including three years teaching in S. Korea and Japan.
Fortunately, my work trips these days are a lot closer than Malaysia or Brazil. This week I'm in Hamburg. Next week I'll be in Munich.
Working closely with diverse professionals across Finance, Manufacturing and everything in between, helps me understand the unique challenges of my clients.
Nevertheless, recognizing the uniqueness of each new situation is as important as ever - another wise finding of Schein’s.
I've even picked up a handful of cultural do's and don’ts that come in handy from time to time...
I'm currently coaching a Germany-based Medical Director to build trusting relationships with her partners - many based in the US and Japan.
When escalating something in the US, "I’d like to talk to your manager” or other expressions of anger can reap benefits.
Expressing anger in Japan, however, will get you nowhere…
I once got angry in a bank when I couldn't open a bank account without a hanko – a Japanese stamp for signatures. Example: 田中 浩司 (Tanaka Koji)
I had just arrived. I hadn't had time to get a bloody hanko!
Besides, most gaijin don’t have Chinese characters!
Another time I was met with unaccommodating silence when I lost my temper at the post office – asking to speak to the manager was my first mistake!
Don't get me started about the Japanese post office.
Nevertheless, I thought it relevant to share this experience with my client.
On a lighter note - whenever I made a mistake in front of my students, I would smile and say: saru mo ki kara ochiru.
Translation: “Even monkeys fall from trees”.
In other words, even experts make mistakes – this came in handy as perfectionism is a big value in Japanese culture.
I’ve not yet shared this happier anecdote but there’s still time.
Since April of 2025 I unexpectedly joined the world of Health & Fitness.
Once a week I teach Breathwork California Style at a yoga studio in Munich.
Here’s how it happened…
With personal growth as my driver, I attended a 10-day Breathwork retreat in New York last summer.
I first experienced Breathwork during a vacation on the central California coast in early 2024. I was hooked.
Never a primary intention, the retreat also certified me as a Breathwork Practitioner.
Hence, the weekly Breathwork session.
It’s laid back and energizing – like the California coast!
Hence, the name.
CALIFORNIA DREAMING