Journal
Notes from the work and from a transition of his own
Carsten Diederich writes about leading under pressure, about turning points and about his work as a coach. The posts are kept in the author's English original.
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From Clarity to Courageous Action
Carsten describes how the model behind Owl & Fire took shape. Clarity first, then responsibility, then action, and above it the question of who you want to be in difficult moments.
«The Window»: When Life Opens and Closes to Let Us Transform
In 2018 a window opened for Carsten while everything around him was collapsing. Now a second one is opening, and this time it is ripeness that moves him rather than the pressure to survive.
Endings Always Come First
A small fire by Lake Geneva, a stack of paper notes and a farewell. Carsten on the part of a transition most people would rather skip.
No One Prepared Me for Being Irrelevant
From 110 people across five countries to a silent Monday morning with the dog. Carsten writes about what is left when nobody needs anything from you.
From Manager to Leader: A Roadmap to Authentic, Data-Informed Leadership
Control produces compliance, trust produces commitment. Carsten on the moment he stopped managing, and on what numbers can do for leadership.
Vulnerability is not a strategy: Leadership in times of transition
After 25 years in corporate life, a farewell to Alpiq and the question of how much a leader should show in such moments. Openness needs measure and direction.
Resilience under Uncertainty: Lessons from Rock Bottom
No leader can promise certainty. Carsten writes about his rock bottom and about four lessons that carried him afterwards.
Be Kind, Not Nice: The Joy of Real Connection
Being nice keeps the peace on the surface. Being kind means staying honest while staying close, and that, Carsten argues, is where joy comes from.
From Vulnerability to Strength: How Leaders Build Trust by Showing Their Human Side
In executive circles vulnerability counts as weakness. Carsten shows why it builds trust and names five ways to practise it day to day.
Joy as a Leadership Resource: Lessons from Life with Focs
A dog called Focs teaches Carsten what presence means. Joy becomes a resource for leadership and resilience.
The 5 Biggest Misbeliefs About Coaching, and How We Do It Differently at Owl & Fire
Coaching fixes weaknesses, the coach tells you what to do, and one conversation solves everything. Carsten takes apart five common assumptions.
Walking in Two Worlds: The Power of Being Both an Executive and an Executive Coach
A corporate executive and a coach at the same time. Carsten describes how the two roles sharpen each other.
Questions That Triggered the Deepest Reactions in My Coaching
Seven questions from real sessions that echoed longer than any answer. And what happens in the silence that follows.
After reading
Some things only become clear in conversation.
If something in these posts sounded familiar, bring it along. A chemistry call takes 30 minutes, by video or phone, at no cost.
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