#7 - Letting Go: Testing Chaos in your Company

#7 - Letting Go: Testing Chaos in your Company

Join me and Alexander as we dive deep into the art of testing chaos in a company. Alexander, the CEO of a global manufacturing company, shares insights from a recent crisis that tested his team's resilience. In our conversation, you'll discover how he navigated uncertainty, empowered his managers to make critical decisions, and identified opportunities to strengthen communication and trust across the organization. Together, we explore the delicate balance between urgency and importance, and what it takes to build a culture where people feel confident taking initiative and ownership. We also discuss practical strategies for delegating with confidence, providing constructive feedback, and developing a designated "survivor" to ensure business continuity when unexpected challenges arise. Alexander reflects on the importance of maintaining work-life balance and making time for personal priorities, even when professional demands seem overwhelming. Whether you're a seasoned executive or an aspiring leader, this episode offers valuable lessons on building an agile, high-performing team that can weather any storm. Tune in for insights that can transform your leadership approach and help you empower your people to thrive. - Curious about coaching? Book a 15 minute introductory conversation with Michael: https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod [https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod] Explore THE #1 source for professional and peer coaching - and become one yourself at PeerPlaza: https://peerplaza.com [https://peerplaza.com] Want to step away from the noise and rethink leadership? Join one of our Coaching and Walking Retreats: https://scaleyouretreats.com [https://scaleyouretreats.com] Learn more about coaching, mentoring, and human–AI collaboration in Michael Hoffman’s book: The Power of Coaching and Mentoring: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC] Get in touch: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/] Email: info@scaleyou.org [info@scaleyou.org]

#6 - How to Recover from Serious Illness: Lead.

In this episode, Lisbeth shares how she used a personality assessment tool to transition from a teaching career into starting her own coaching and consulting business. After being diagnosed with cancer, Lisbeth had to reevaluate her career path. She discovered that her strong idealistic tendencies often led to frustration in traditional work environments. Through a Reiss Motivation Profile assessment, Lisbeth gained deep self-awareness about her core values and drivers. This allowed her to understand why certain situations were challenging for her, and how she could find more fulfillment by creating her own company. Lisbeth now uses the Reiss Profile with her B2B and individual clients to help them uncover their unique motivations. This allows her to coach them on building more cohesive and productive teams, as well as developing their own leadership skills. She emphasizes that the tool provides data-driven insights, not labels, empowering people to better understand themselves and others. Lisbeth's story highlights how self-awareness and a willingness to make a bold career change can lead to greater fulfillment, even in the face of adversity. Her coaching approach offers a compelling framework for personal and professional development. - Curious about coaching? Book a 15 minute introductory conversation with Michael: https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod [https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod] Explore THE #1 source for professional and peer coaching - and become one yourself at PeerPlaza: https://peerplaza.com [https://peerplaza.com] Want to step away from the noise and rethink leadership? Join one of our Coaching and Walking Retreats: https://scaleyouretreats.com [https://scaleyouretreats.com] Learn more about coaching, mentoring, and human–AI collaboration in Michael Hoffman’s book: The Power of Coaching and Mentoring: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC] Get in touch: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/] Email: info@scaleyou.org [info@scaleyou.org]

#5 - "I Can't Ensure Learning" - Leading Without Guarantees

Welcome to this week's episode. I'm Michael Hoffman, and today I'm talking with Brian Østergaard, a project and digitalization leader who's fundamentally changed how I think about coaching. Here's what struck me most: Brian refuses to guarantee learning outcomes. Instead, he creates environments where people want to learn. We dive deep into why traditional training - mandatory sessions from 2 to 4 PM - rarely works, and what actually does. Brian shares his philosophy on coaching strategies that matter: self-awareness, empathy, and what he calls "sitting on your hands." That last one might sound passive, but it's actually the most powerful move a leader can make. It's about giving people space to reflect, make mistakes, and own their learning. We explore how he transformed vocational education by shifting teachers from experts to facilitators, how he introduces emerging technologies like VR in ways that spark genuine curiosity, and why digitalization success is 80% people, 20% technology. If you're leading teams through change, struggling with how to inspire growth, or wondering why your training initiatives aren't sticking - this conversation is for you. Brian's insights are practical, grounded, and deeply human. - Curious about coaching? Book a 15 minute introductory conversation with Michael: https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod [https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod] Explore THE #1 source for professional and peer coaching - and become one yourself at PeerPlaza: https://peerplaza.com [https://peerplaza.com] Want to step away from the noise and rethink leadership? Join one of our Coaching and Walking Retreats: https://scaleyouretreats.com [https://scaleyouretreats.com] Learn more about coaching, mentoring, and human–AI collaboration in Michael Hoffman’s book: The Power of Coaching and Mentoring: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC] Get in touch: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/] Email: info@scaleyou.org [info@scaleyou.org]

#04 - Your Partner Silently Exits: Save the Company or Walk Away?

In this episode, I interview Juliette Guldberg, CEO of Job Vision, exploring coaching strategies for leaders facing business crises. Juliette's five-year struggle to save her company while managing a non-contributing partner reveals essential lessons in executive resilience. Juliette's breakthrough came when she abandoned pretense and became vulnerable with her network. By openly discussing her struggles with skilled peers and investors, she accessed the support that saved her company - demonstrating that asking for help is strategic wisdom, not weakness. A key coaching insight emerges: holding too tightly to problems prevents solutions from appearing. By accepting she might need to leave, Juliette paradoxically found the path forward - illustrating the principle of detachment and surrender. Juliette credits her professional board as transformational, providing strategic challenges and emotional support. This reflects best practice: surround yourself with trusted advisors who push your thinking and validate your direction. Throughout her journey, Juliette maintained brutal honesty about her situation, refusing to compromise her values despite financial pressure. This integrity-based approach offers a powerful coaching model for leaders in crisis. The episode demonstrates that effective leadership through uncertainty requires vulnerability, strategic humility, and the courage to seek guidance - core principles of transformational coaching. - Curious about coaching? Book a 15 minute introductory conversation with Michael: https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod [https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod] Explore THE #1 source for professional and peer coaching - and become one yourself at PeerPlaza: https://peerplaza.com [https://peerplaza.com] Want to step away from the noise and rethink leadership? Join one of our Coaching and Walking Retreats: https://scaleyouretreats.com [https://scaleyouretreats.com] Learn more about coaching, mentoring, and human–AI collaboration in Michael Hoffman’s book: The Power of Coaching and Mentoring: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC] Get in touch: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/] Email: info@scaleyou.org [info@scaleyou.org]

#03 - Not a Happy Ending... But Maybe a Salvation

In this candid conversation, I sit down with Mitch Sowards, who sold his 30-year-old IT services firm and transitioned to executive coaching. Mitch shares the unvarnished reality of business succession - from navigating partner dynamics and valuation surprises to the difficult decision of finding the right buyer. Beyond the transaction itself, this episode explores critical coaching lessons: the importance of involving your leadership team in major decisions, the paradox of transparency versus confidentiality during a sale, and how introversion can limit a leader's ability to gather unfiltered feedback from employees. Mitch reflects on the cultural due diligence that should precede any merger, the inevitable disappointment that comes with business sales, and a surprising silver lining; how dispersed employees carried his legacy forward in unexpected ways. Whether you're a business owner contemplating a sale, a leader navigating organizational change, or a coach supporting clients through major transitions, this episode offers practical wisdom on decision-making, communication, and the human cost of business transformation. - Curious about coaching? Book a 15 minute introductory conversation with Michael: https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpod [https://calendly.com/scaleyou/mgpodLooking] Explore THE #1 source for professional and peer coaching - and become one yourself at PeerPlaza: https://peerplaza.com [https://peerplaza.com] Want to step away from the noise and rethink leadership? Join one of our Coaching and Walking Retreats: https://scaleyouretreats.com [https://scaleyouretreats.com] Learn more about coaching, mentoring, and human–AI collaboration in Michael Hoffman’s book: The Power of Coaching and Mentoring: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28S43G5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_FJSXJ63FPQA26258WQJC] Get in touch: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhoffmanexecutivecoach/] Email: info@scaleyou.org [info@scaleyou.org]