“I believe in the immense internal power of every human being regardless the external challenges.”
This is the reason why I am committed to focus on exactly this primary human capacity by accompanying individuals and organizations to truly re-appropriate themselves with this internal force.
When I quit the corporate world in 2017 I felt accomplished and satisfied with what I had learned and experienced. I had the feeling that my skills/competence-rucksack was stuffed. With regards to leadership, organizational development skills and global business wisdom I was pretty experienced. I assumed that with this rucksack succeeding in the coaching space was easy.
And I was wrong.
When you start your own coaching business, like every business, everyone tends to search for guidance how to succeed as a coach/entrepreneur. The number one advice business developers in this industry (probably in all industries) gave me in 2018/2019: Find your niche? Make it as precise and focused as possible. Of course I was thinking, I do not need this as my rucksack is so diverse and multi-dimensional, so I can focus on lots of topics.
And yet again, I was wrong.
I think the in-person interaction with clients is immensely beneficial for building and sustaining a high level of rapport and trust in a client-centric coaching approach. I thought that it is the only way of assuring high quality coaching services. And then the pandemic hit in 2020.
And yet again, I was wrong.
In the beginning of 2021, my biggest fear came true. The death of a loved one. Death is the biggest taboo topic in our society (at least my perception of western society). It is excluded, ignored, avoided. You put this thought far far away - this dark, awful and scary topic. This topic will (hopefully hopefully) never touch me, I thought (until it did).
And I was wrong.
So what did I make out of all that?
I did not take extra qualifications, I did not blindly focus on a niche, I did not stick to my face-to-face coaching practice and I did not put my head into the sand in despair and grieving.
“Life must be lived forward but can only be understood backwards.”
And so I tried to put the cues together.
Cue #1
The first book I read after quitting Bosch was “Ego is the enemy” by Ryan Holiday followed by his earlier book “The obstacle is the way”. Both great inspirations how to shift the inner perspective.
Cue #2
As a recommendation of the amazing organizational developer Adam Grant (who I love) I came across the leadership formula of Jerry Colonna (who I love as well). One essential part of the formula is the concept of radical self-inquiry – an authentic and deep introspection process (with an open heart and a strong back).
Cue #3
When personal struggles peaked my best friend sent me the book “The self-developer” by Jens Corssen. It is a perfectly structured summary of how to develop one’s self.
Cue #4
Four month into my grieving a great coach and friend convinced me to join him on a six weeks coaching program. It is called “Mental Fitness” and is taught by Stanford Professor Shirzad Chamin. It is a complete and consistent App-based coaching program which develops the three core muscles of mental fitness in a very “hands-on” way.
Cues #5-#10X
All the books, videos, coachings, conversations and contemplation along the way.
So somehow by synchronicity the puzzle pieces fell into place:
It resonates with me in work, life, love and leaving.
It’s essence: Self-leadership - the re-appropriation of one’s internal powers to face the constant challenges in life.
And then finally in September 2021 I had the amazing chance and privilege to put all the wisdom (“my wisdom”?!) together in a 4 days seminar concept: Self-Leadership, Communication, Leadership, Vision and Values. I truly loved it! Thanks to the CEO and the whole leadership team of Ventomaxx GmbH for having the trust and faith in my ideas, skills and competences.
Every journey leads to another journey and to another and to another – this is life I guess.
Self-Leadership is my journey now!