mind the gap

Mind the gap — an essential skill for life and leadership

When I lived in London studying at the Musician’s Institute my favourite past-time as a poor student was to take the Underground to a station in an area I hadn’t visited before and walk back home to Bayswater experiencing the vibe of the different neighbourhoods I passed through. I was quite fascinated by the Mind the Gap announcements. Wondering which stations would …

deconstructive feedback

Your approach to feedback is probably wrong (and here’s how to do it instead)

What is the purpose of giving feedback? The correct behaviour, to improve, to change you may answer. I would have, and my understanding of feedback has evolved over the years. An evolution of understanding feedback as a nicer word for correcting behaviour, to shifting the focus of the word towards desired outcome, to shifting the focus to the process of …

interdependant co-arising

You’re not where you are because of your own making

I first become a manager because my Danish colleague, the most senior, most talented, and next-in-line guy in the our sales team got too impatient waiting for his promotion. I was also looking for a way out of my current role but he was faster and found a role outside of the organisation. When he had left the next rung …

empathy and compassion

Why empathy isn’t the magic key to great leadership (and what to do instead)

Even if you are only remotely interested in personal development and leadership, you could not have missed the empathy train. Empathy is in every leadership conversation now and often touted as the magic key to great leadership, partially because of the rapid rise of Brenéity, the devotion to the teachings of Brené Brown. All the talk about empathy is well-intended …

Is Buddhism a religion

Is Buddhism a religion?

No, Buddhism is not a religion. Stay with me as I unpack this. Let’s start with Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who says “Buddhism is not a religion, it’s a practice, similarly to yoga, which you can do irrespective of religious beliefs”. This statement is a controversial, both to some Buddhist and to others, so let’s define religion and …

the road home

The Road Home: The Journey Towards Living Your Purpose

I’d lost count of how often that nagging question ambushed me. As I did every workday, I charged down the narrow road to the highway to work, my brain on fire. Not with ideas and energy, but with a morbid calculation that had become routine. So routine that I’d even gone through my old college physics books to refresh my …

Your ego and the transition to leadership

Your ego and the transition to leadership

My series of talks with Paul, co-founder of Maniphesto, continues on the topic of your ego and the transition to leadership. We talk about fear responses, rewriting your ego story, the frustrations when leaders report to managers, how to get started on the journey from manager to leader, and more. Maniphesto is the European umbrella organisation for men’s work and we’ve …

Every day courage

Everyday courage

Paul Lloyd Robson, co-founder of Maniphesto, and I talk about courage. We talk about the Avengers, courage atrophy, ego stories, social attributes, and how you can’t escape spirituality. Maniphesto is the European umbrella organisation for men’s work and we’ve just launched mentoring to support men, check it out here. TRANSCRIPT FREDRIK We are typically so preoccupied with what I call social …

vulnerability life leadership

Vulnerability, life and leadership

I had a talk with Paul Lloyd Robson, the co-founder of Maniphesto, about vulnerability in life and leadership and how it relates to weakness, integrity and courage. I share my perspective on why vulnerability is a critical component to engage others on your journey. Maniphesto is the European umbrella organisation for men’s work and I share how my work with leaders …