Being able to feel what's going on is a gift.

Until it isn't.

High sensitivity lets you read the room. Spot what others miss. Connect deeply with clients and team.

The pitfall: not knowing where you end and the other person begins.

No clear line. No boundary. Just a quiet belief that absorbing it all is leadership.

It's not…

You tell yourself:

"Once I fix this in the business…"

"Once we hit that revenue target…"

"Once the deal is done…"

The hardest thing about becoming a better leader? It starts at home. Before 7am. With a dog and a long walk…

"Hello, great to meet you here on Zoom."

"How are you doing?"

"I'll be honest with you. Not so good."

"OK, you want to tell me about that?"

"Yes. I am ill. It cannot be cured."

"That’s shit. Do you want to talk about it?"

We live in turbulent times; the very existence of how our world looks is at stake with collapsing ecosystems and the social consequences they bring. We do not need more shiny influencers promoting the next futile it-bag, car, their muscles or a world which evolves around swollen egos. It’s time to take some action.

We have never had more possibilities to make a positive change in the world than we do today. But this requires a clear goal, a clear mind and a deep energy coming from the inside.

How much of what you do today still contributes to your freedom to do the things you love, the things you’re exceptionally good at?

I’m sure there’s a fairly high chance it is far less than what you dreamed of when you first started building your business.

What would become possible if we gave ourselves permission to create a life that we genuinely fall in love with? To pursue our dreams despite fear, doubt, and the unknown. How magical would it be to approach our lives with the same sense of wonder, awe, and curiosity that accompanies the experience of falling in love?

I have been an enthusiastic scouts member for most of my youth.

It was a place where you learned to get along with all kinds of people, collaborate and experience great adventures, and I made friends for life.

Later as a leader, you got to create the most fantastic experiences with sometimes very limited resources, which sparked your creativity.

We are well into the new year, and most people have already abandoned their New Year’s resolutions.

Apparently, the 17th of January is when many skip their good intentions to fall back into their old habits.

This day even has a name: Quitters Day.

I just got back from an epic mountain bike trip around Mont Blanc.

In 5 days, we rode with five guys on mountain bikes from Chamonix in France via Italy and Switzerland and back again.

During that time, we climbed thousands of meters riding trails from one mountaintop to another.

Time isn’t money

No, it’s far more precious than that.

There is this saying that time is money.

This may be true from an industrial production perspective or for you as an entrepreneur running a business where every minute seems to count.

But is that really true?

What happens when you stop drinking alcohol?

It’s a question I have been asking myself for quite a while.

Ever since my late teen years, I have been drinking alcohol, just a few beers every now and then, and then over the weekend a few more.

Later, when I was at business school and responsible for organizing the student parties with our student club, the intake increased drastically.

It sparked my confidence and helped to have fun (I thought).

In our group of friends, it wasn’t unusual to drink a lot when we got together.

Over the years, alcohol helped me to get inspiration, and to think out of the box, but very few of those ideas and projects you come up with during those moments ever get to see the light of day.

It helped me relax, to connect with friends and strangers and to have a good time and fuel my inspiration. So I thought.

My drinking was never a problem, and I never lost control or blacked out (which is a miracle given the quantities I swallowed during my student years)

And luckily I never got addicted.