On the stories we tell ourselves about other people. When I enter a room, I notice the invisible connections between people. The tensions. The subtle reactions. The things left unsaid. It’s as if I’m instinctively mapping the landscape of human relationships. I sometimes think of myself as a relationship engineer. I observe what connects people, what separates them, and where a bridge might be needed. And then I build bridges. Every fucking day. At work, I often find myself i

As driven leaders, we care deeply. We carry responsibility for our teams, our results, and the systems we build. For a long time, I struggled to separate my deep sense of responsibility from the low-humming anxiety that often runs parallel to it. We tell ourselves: „I’m just being diligent. I’m just anticipating the risks.“ And often, that’s true. We are responsible. But there is a subtle, dangerous tipping point. Responsibility becomes unhealthy the moment fear takes the whe

In a busy and dynamic work environment, it’s easy to spend 90% of our day fighting things we cannot change: corporate decisions, other people’s opinions, endless loops of bureaucracy, or sudden roadblocks. The ancient Stoics had a simple model for this: The Circle of Control. The Outer Circle: Everything that happens outside of us—company politics, market conditions, or how others act. Trying to control this only creates exhaustion and frustration. The Inner Circle: The only

Trying to understand other people doesn't just help with communication and connection. Lately, I’ve realized something: Empathy is actually also deeply selfish. Because it gives me inner peace. The better I grasp another person’s perspective—the more I can step into their reality—the quieter the noise inside my own head becomes. When you truly recognize and accept the duality of life—that there isn't just one truth, and not just your own reality—your world expands. It stops t

If something urgent comes up, who is the first person you call? Most managers naturally turn to their highest performers. They are reliable, committed, and rarely say no. But enthusiasm is not an infinite capacity. When we give our best people new projects without explicitly taking old ones off their plate, we aren’t delegating—we are adding extra work and relying on their inability to say no. A simple rule for true leadership: Every time you assign a new priority to a high p

We are constantly talking about AI in HR. Higher, faster, further. Automating processes, streamlining reports, generating templates at the click of a button. There is nothing wrong with that—we should all be glad to hand over tedious administrative tasks. But I am noticing a trend that gives me pause: The gradual decoupling of genuine human experience. We already see it in recruitment: A candidate uses AI to polish their application. The company uses an AI agent to scan and s

A few days ago, two of my team members shared a feeling that many high performers know all too well: Guilt. They felt guilty for not getting through their endless to-do list after unexpected crises hit. I know that feeling. I spent years suffering from it until I realized a fundamental truth: Most corporations are structured in a way that makes it literally impossible to finish everything. If you want to build true authority and protect your energy, you have to stop playing a

In my situations and coachings with senior leaders, I frequently encounter the following thoughts and assumptions: When someone makes a mistake, we tend to believe that having the facts on our side is enough. We point out the error. We expect them to acknowledge it, adjust, and move on. When they get defensive instead, we assume they can’t take criticism. But often, it’s not the criticism they are fighting—it’s the humiliation. The moment a correction targets someone's iden

Recently, Olly Jay raised a few fundamental questions that have been on my mind ever since. They point directly to a systemic flaw we accept far too quietly in corporate life: the vacuum of ownership. Don't get me wrong: I actually love processes. When applied right, processes and policies act as necessary guardrails. They maintain high standards, ensure consistency, and create operational stability across an organization. The catch? Every policy also strips away a degree of

How to escape the cognitive traps your brain builds for you. Our brains are label-making machines. We constantly categorize people, experiences, and situations to simplify complexity and navigate the world. Without this mechanism, our nervous system would be hopelessly overwhelmed. The positive: It ensures our survival and creates order. The downside: Once a label is attached, it sets an anchor that limits how we perceive reality. Labeling something is like putting a price ta

And why you must take ownership of your energy. Look at your goals for this year: Did you set them yourself, or did someone else decide what your focus should be? In most corporate environments, objectives are handed down from the top. Many employees accept them passively, slowly feeling their motivation drain away as they work on projects that don't inspire them. Waiting for your organization to hand you meaningful, inspiring goals is a losing strategy. You have to create yo

And why true leadership starts with a quiet mindset shift. There is a lot of talk about how great leaders should "serve" their teams rather than rule them. I’ll go a step further: Serving is not a leadership strategy you switch on between 9 and 5. It is a fundamental mindset—one that reflects in every aspect of your life. Consider these questions: Who are you to think you are more important than any other human being? Who are you to believe you deserve special treatment or in

And how to turn it into your quiet strength. As an HR leader, I have met hundreds of talented women with qualifications and competencies equal to—or exceeding—their male counterparts. Yet, there is one distinct behavioral pattern I observe in 80 to 90 percent of women, and almost never in men: The reflexive urge to justify their behavior and apologize. It’s one thing to feel uncertain inside. It’s another to constantly express it to the outside world by apologizing for: Doing

Why taking this perspective will always give you an advantage Today, I want to share an insight with you that changed my business life and career fundamentally. It is about the moment I started to understand the power of becoming a manager’s most strategic ally. The go-to person, the one they would rely on more than on any average employee. To start with a clarification first: This has nothing to do with being a people pleaser. I am not asking you to be a clone of your boss,

There are a few corporate sayings that really trigger me. But there is one that—with online meetings all day, every day—has been used far too frequently in the recent past: "I’ll give you back ten minutes." "Lucky you, we finished early, so I'm giving you half an hour back." Really? You are giving me back time? I don’t think so. First of all, I realize it’s meant to be friendly. The intent is usually to make meeting participants feel good or relieved. So why does something ni

When I go to a different country, I always feel it’s Agnes, the German, in a foreign country. Like now, I feel German in Waterford, Ireland. And while I truly enjoy the team and the West site and everything, I feel foreign in a way. Like a tourist going to a country and then returning home by leaving the country. Just now I realized that there can be a different perspective. By spending four days in Waterford, a small piece of me becomes Irish. I soak in the energy that is he

I see it almost every day and at all hierarchical levels: Someone doesn't behave the way we want them to, and we instantly discredit the entire person. Sometimes openly and directly, sometimes secretly and in confidential conversations with HR. We fail to separate the two: that we are actually just dissatisfied with a specific behavior because it doesn't align with our own expectations or needs. I find myself wondering and reflecting on maturity and professionalism time

We all know the phrase: "The brain is a muscle." But in the world of high performers, this metaphor is often dangerously misinterpreted. We believe we must keep this muscle under maximum tension 24/7 just to keep from falling behind. Modern neuroscience and psychology paint a completely different picture. True high performance does not come from permanent pressure; it comes from the art of precise periodization. Neuroplasticity: You Become What You Standardize Our brain posse

There are several assumptions about becoming a leader that are either false or vastly overrated. Particularly when speaking with numbers- or data-oriented professionals—such as scientists, finance experts, or engineers—their logic is deeply rooted in "either right or wrong" (never both), correct versus incorrect data, and the one right way of doing things. When they move into a leadership role or deal with employees, they often carry this exact same mindset with them: they tr

In weak organizations, formal warnings are avoided because many leaders shy away from conflict. "He didn’t mean it." "She understood that it wasn’t okay." "We aren't that strict with others either." Sounds like valid arguments? Usually, they aren't. Of course, a formal warning has legal relevance. The choice should be deliberate. It is neither fair nor legally sustainable to issue a warning to Employee A while regularly tolerating the exact same behavior from Employees B and