In this episode we explore a timely and vital question: What can women bring to leadership that men can't? Joining us are two accomplished women leaders from traditionally male-dominated industries: Dr. Melanie Maas-Brunner, a former BASF board member, and Evelyn Chau, a director in the global banking industry. Together we dive into the unique contributions women bring to leadership, the challenges, and what we can all learn from a more diverse approach to leadership.

KEY MESSAGES AND LESSONS

Authentic Leadership
Melanie and Evelyn stress the importance of authenticity in leadership, particularly for women. Rather than adopting traditionally male leadership styles, women can excel by embracing traits like empathy, collaboration, and open communication—qualities that enhance trust and innovation in teams.

Overcoming Gender Bias
The discussion tackles stereotypes, such as the perception of assertive women as "too aggressive" or the tendency for women to underestimate their abilities compared to men. Evelyn shares strategies to navigate biases, build confidence, and network effectively.

The Business Case for Diversity
Research shows diverse leadership teams outperform less diverse ones. Melanie and Evelyn argue that women bring critical skills to crisis management, including emotional intelligence and an ability to integrate diverse viewpoints. These strengths create a more resilient and innovative organizational culture.

ACTIONABLE TIPS

• Be vocal about your career goals and achievements while staying authentic.
• Build internal networks with mentors and allies.
• Clarify your personal priorities, including work-life balance, to ensure a sustainable leadership journey.
• Lean into empathy and collaboration while confidently claiming space at the table.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• Are you creating opportunities for all voices to be heard on your team?
• How can you, regardless of gender, mentor and support diverse leadership in your organization?
• What steps can you take to ensure your leadership is authentic and values-driven?

ABOUT OUR GUESTS
Dr. Melanie Maas-Brunner: Former Chief Technology Officer at BASF, now a non-executive director focused on sustainability and innovation.
Evelyn Chau: Director of Corporate Banking at HSBC Sweden, with expertise in international finance and mentoring emerging leaders.

ABOUT SECOBD CRACK
Learn more about us and our work at secondcrackleadership.com. For questions or feedback, email us at hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

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Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

We explore how to achieve success in corporate transformation.
The discussion starts with the fact that many organisations still seem to rely on traditional top-down approaches, despite evidence that this method leads to disengagement, resistance to change, and change fatigue.
We conclude that there is a need for organisations to rethink their approach to transformation by putting people at the heart of the process. This means inviting people to co-create at scale, tapping into the collective intelligence of the organisation. Important is also to address both the rational and emotional side of change. Technological advancements, like AI, offer new ways to scale involvement, but the human aspect of leadership remains crucial.

Key Themes

1. The Problem with Top-Down Change

• Research indicates that 75% of organisations still use top-down strategies, with management deciding and expecting employees to follow.
• This approach often results in change fatigue (50% of employees report feeling overwhelmed), disengagement, and resistance because employees are not sufficiently involved in the process.

2. The Importance of Involvement

• When employees can influence their own work and understand the rationale behind the changes, their engagement and resilience increase.
• Failing to tap into the collective intelligence of employees not only slows implementation but also misses valuable insights from those who know the work best.

3. Start with ‘Why’

• Organizations tend to focus on what needs to change, but a people-centered approach should start by exploring and understanding why the change is necessary.
• Employees need to understand both the outside-in perspective (bigger picture) and the inside-out perspective (personal motivation). This alignment creates a common language and helps employees see how the change benefits them and the organisation.

4. Scaling Change Involvement

• Involving more employees in change increases the chances of success. A study shows a tipping point. Minimum of 7% employee involvement is necessary for a positive return on transformation efforts.
• New digital platforms and AI, make it easier to involve employees at scale, overcoming delays and logistical challenges of traditional approaches.

5. Balancing Rational and Emotional Factors:

• Change isn’t just a rational process; it’s heavily influenced by emotions. Leaders need to acknowledge and address the hopes, fears, and potential resistance employees feel during times of transformation.
• Creating an open dialogue where people feel heard builds trust and reduces defensiveness.

Reflection Questions

• Purpose: Why does your organisation exist? How does it contribute to a larger purpose? How does that impact the way you approach change?
• Leadership Presence: How can you, as a leader, make time to personally engage with frontline employees to better understand their perspectives?
• Focus on People: Instead of focusing solely on what changes are needed, how can you help your people change and grow? How can you make change personal and meaningful for them?

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com

For questions, feedback, or suggestions, or to explore how we can help you develop your leadership, email us at hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

Gerrit Pelzer and Martin Aldergård delve into an unexpected but insightful theme: what leaders can learn from horses. Joined by guest Ed Renshaw, an executive coach with expertise in equine-assisted leadership development, they explore the parallels between interacting with horses and leading people, providing a unique perspective on leadership dynamics.

Highlights:

Purposeful Leadership: Horses, like people, respond to clear, authentic leadership. Ed explains how horses mirror human energy and intentions, offering leaders immediate feedback on their behavior. Horses thrive under purposeful direction, and this mirrors what human teams expect from their leaders.

Horses as Mirrors: One of the central concepts discussed is how horses, being prey animals with a heightened fight-or-flight response, serve as perfect mirrors for human behavior. If a leader approaches a horse with too much anxiety or uncertainty, the horse will react similarly, providing an unfiltered reflection of how leaders might be perceived by their teams.

Non-Bias and Vulnerability: Horses don't care about a person's title or position—they only respond to how a person shows up in the moment. This non-judgmental nature strips away ego, requiring leaders to be truly present, vulnerable, and authentic—traits that are critical for fostering trust and followership in human leadership contexts as well.

Feedback and Self-Reflection: Working with horses brings up powerful insights quickly, potenitally much faster than traditional coaching or leadership development programs might. Ed shares real-life examples where leaders were humbled by the honest feedback provided by their equine counterparts, leading to profound realizations about their leadership style and impact.

Key Takeaways:

Instant Feedback on Leadership Style: Opposed to collecting feedback from humans, horses provide immediate, visceral responses. If a horse doesn't follow you, it might indicate that something is off with your leadership approach.

The Importance of Connection: Building a connection with a horse is similar to building human relationships at work. A leader must create trust, be aware of energy, and be able to shift between directive and supportive behaviors. This reflects a core challenge of leading people in today's complex work environments.

Overcoming Skepticism: While leaders may be skeptical about learning from horses, Ed shares examples that demonstrate how unconventional methods like equine-assisted leadership development can offer powerful, lasting lessons for corporate leaders.

Reflection Questions:

• How do I show up as a leader in critical moments? Am I purposeful and clear, or am I sending mixed signals to my team?
• What feedback do I receive from my team's body language or non-verbal responses, and how can I become more attuned to this?
• How can I create more opportunities for honest feedback in my leadership, even without access to a horse?

About Ed Renshaw
To learn more about Ed Renshaw and his work with equine-assisted leadership, connect with him on LinkedIn.

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com

For questions, feedback, or suggestions, or to explore how we can help you develop your leadership, email us at hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

In this episode, we explore the power and importance of intuition in leadership with Intuition Coach Dr. Charlotte Tamason. Intuition is often an underestimated aspect of leadership, yet it plays a crucial role in decision-making, fostering innovation, and navigating complex situations.

Episode Highlights

• Understanding Intuition: Charlotte demystifies what intuition really means for leaders, explaining how it goes beyond gut feelings to become a reliable inner guide.
• Intuition and Decision-Making: Discover how intuition complements analytical thinking in making fast, effective decisions in high-pressure environments.
• Practical Application: Learn actionable strategies to develop and trust your intuitive abilities as a leader, from creating quiet time for reflection to tuning into your inner signals during meetings.
• Balancing Intuition with Logic: We discuss the balance between intuition and logic, and how leaders can harness both to lead with confidence and authenticity.

Key Moments

[00:00] Introduction to Intuition and Leadership
[03:08] Meet Dr. Charlotte Tamason, Intuition Coach
[04:45] Understanding Intuition in Leadership
[07:17] Intuition in Business Decision Making
[11:16] Practical Steps to Tap into Intuition
[26:18] Debunking Myths About Intuition
[34:53] Reflection Questions and Closing Remarks

Reflection Questions

• Reflect on a recent decision where you relied on intuition. How did it influence the outcome? What can you learn from this experience?
• How do you currently balance intuition and logic in your leadership approach? Are there areas where you could trust your intuition more?
• Consider how you create space for intuitive insights. What practices could you adopt to strengthen your connection to your inner guidance?

About Dr. Charlotte Tamason
Charlotte Tamason is an intuition coach who helps leaders tap into their inner wisdom to make more aligned and impactful decisions. Connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn or visit her website Health by Intuition.

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com

For questions, feedback, or suggestions, or to explore how we can help you develop your leadership, email us at hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

In a corporate environment, leaders are expected to be achievement-oriented and drive results. However, the relentless pursuit of goals can lead to exhaustion and burnout. Often, both leaders and employees miss out on enjoying the process while working towards the organization’s future vision.

In this episode, Martin Aldergård and Gerrit Pelzer explore how leaders can find a balance between feeling content in the present moment while maintaining a drive for future aspirations.

Key Points:

2:55 - The Importance of Purpose: When your work aligns with your deeper purpose in life, it becomes inherently fulfilling. This alignment can lead to daily satisfaction in your role. However, even when work is aligned with personal values and passions, it does not prevent burnout. Highly engaged individuals can become overwhelmed if their desire to change the world leads to unrealistic expectations.

6:40 - Rethinking Goals and Visions: Setting S.M.A.R.T goals and creating ambitious visions is standard corporate practice. However, if visions are not properly formulated or goals are ill-defined, they can be counterproductive, even when set with the best intentions. In general, direction and purpose are more important than specific, rigid goals. A vision needs to allow room for emergence.

15:10 - Mindfulness and Present Moment Awareness: Drawing on the wisdom of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, true happiness can only be found in the present moment. Being aware of the many conditions that allow you to be happy can enhance well-being while maintaining your aspiration to improve the status quo. Leaders need to create an environment where the right goals can be achieved in a healthy manner.

25:17 - Letting Go of Results: In highly unpredictable business environments, the idea that leaders can control results is an illusion. Rather than being attached to outcomes, leaders need to let go of control. Achievement should not be based on results that are beyond your control. Instead, focus on having the right processes in place and creating conditions for people to be their best. Trust the process, and good results will follow.

As a leader, take a moment to appreciate what you can be grateful for right now, rather than chasing goals and focusing on what is not good enough. Find ways to support your team in finding satisfaction and happiness in their daily work, rather than constantly pushing them to new heights.

About Second Crack

For more information about us and our work, visit our website: secondcrackleadership.com

Would you like to explore how we can help you find more contentment in the present moment without giving up on your aspirations through a company-wide initiative or individual executive coaching? Email us at: hello at secondcrackleadership.com.

To connect with us on LinkedIn:

Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

Join us in a conversation with Enrico Cañal Bruland, GM&VP of a multinational pharmaceutical company, where we discuss how to develop resilience in leadership.

Reflecting on professional and private challenges, Enrico shares 3 factors that have helped him become a calmer, more balanced, and better version of himself. And as a result, becoming a more resilient leader, supporting his team and fostering a positive, forward-looking mindset, during difficult times.

• Curiosity - the ability to approach challenges as learning opportunities
• Empathy - being empathetic to others in times of difficulties, but first to oneself
• Humor - amid serious challenges, find the moments where a bit of humor helps

Key moments

01:43 Introducing our guest Enrico Cañal Bruland

02:57 Short ‘definition’ of Resilience in Leadership

06:41 Key Success Factors in building Resilience

09:55 Curiosity

15:16 Empathy

24:02 Humor

29:08 Concluding thoughts on Balance, Calmness and Presence

35:31 Reflection questions

Reflection Questions

• Think back to a challenging situation where you might have felt out of control. Think about what happened. How did you respond? How did you feel? And look at your experience through the lens of curiosity, empathy and humor: Did you use it? And if so, how did it help? How could you use it in the future?

• On the importance of being present: What can you do to be more present as a leader?

• Reflect on who you are, and who you aspire to be. And in the context of leadership, what kind of leader do you really want to be? And this relates then to the aspiration: What really matters to you, what’s most important in your life? It may not sound immediately as a recipe to be more resilient, however when you have a clear direction in life, when you know what really matters, then you can also more easily deal with the challenges, putting things in perspective, and finding the necessary energy.

About Enrico Cañal Bruland

If you are interested, you can connect with Enrico via LinkedIn here.

About Second Crack

More info about us and our work is also on our website: secondcrackleadership.com

Do you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for us? Would you like to explore how we can help you drive results in your organisations through a company-wide initiative or individual executive coaching? Then email us: hello at secondcrackleadership.com.

To connect with us on LinkedIn:

Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

In this episode, we talk with Noah Shepherd about leading change in a foreign country. We tap into his 30+ years of experience as a leader and executive in Asia.

Our conversation covers three key success factors for leading change:

• It's not a race
• Involve everyone
• Tailor your communication to each audience

While this certainly can be seen as common knowledge, there is a lot to learn from Noah's deep experience and the stories he is sharing. He provides practical examples and insights, leading to significant improvements in people turnover, accident rates, product quality, and customer service. The episode also highlights challenges like resistance from middle management and how to overcome them by empowering staff at all levels.

Key moments

01:01 Introducing Noah Shepherd and his Leadership Journey

02:47 The Thrills and Challenges of Leading Change

06:59 Key Success Factors in Leading Change

07:58 “It's not a race”

14:45 “Involve everyone”

27:31 “Tailor your communication”

35:15 Closing Thoughts and Reflection Questions

Reflection Questions

• As change is not a race, reflect on: What motivates you to participate and lead a particular change journey? It might be the sense of achievement from driving results, it might be in terms of developing people or developing yourself, or it might be for the money.
• In the context of involving everyone, ask yourself: do you understand the people you work with enough? Different people have different reasons for coming to work and are motivated by various factors. What are their needs? And what's in it for them if they can achieve this change?

About Noah Shepherd, Managing Partner

Noah has been turning around, leading and starting businesses since the day he moved to Thailand in 1993. He has held country, regional and global responsibilities from SMEs to large multinational companies across a range of industries. Before establishing the Shepherd Partnership, Noah led operations transformation in Asia-Pacific for Stanley Black&Decker – Leading Advanced Manufacturing, Lean Transformation, Industry 4.0 and Automation across 26 facilities in seven countries in the Indo-Pacific, covering $US2.6Bn of manufacturing cost.

Find out more at shepherd-partnership.com and connect with Noah on LinkedIn.

About Second Crack

More info about us and our work is also on our website: secondcrackleadership.com

Do you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for us? Would you like to explore how we can help you drive results in your organisations through a company-wide initiative or individual executive coaching? Then email us at: hello at secondcrackleadership.com.

To connect with us on LinkedIn:

Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer

In this episode we delve into the vital leadership skill of assertiveness. With guest Rachel Goodwin, a UK-based leadership coach with a specialisation in assertiveness and supporting women in the workplace, we explore how leaders can balance assertiveness to avoid being too soft, or overly aggressive.

We discuss behavioural patterns including passive, aggressive, and passive-aggressive styles, and the role of skilful assertive communication in achieving win-win situations and impact as a leader.

We also cover practical exercises for developing assertiveness, such as role-playing and self-reflection on emotional triggers. The episode concludes with actionable advice, and reflection questions for listeners wanting to improve their skills in difficult conversations in leadership roles.


Key Moments

[03:40] Understanding Assertiveness: Definitions and Frameworks

[18:32] Practical Tips for Developing Assertiveness

[34:27] Emotional and Assertiveness

[43:32] Concluding Reflections

Reflection Questions for Leaders

• How can I better practice to “stop and pause”, to sense what I’m thinking, what I’m feeling, before I respond? Either in a difficult conversation, or in a meeting, so that I really have access to my assertiveness skills.
• What emotions might be getting into my way of finding the right level of assertiveness? What can be my strategy moving forward to regulate these emotions effectively?
• How could I start to engage with this (the assertiveness) model? Try and find situations that are quite low stakes, so not waiting for the most high level meeting that you're going to be attending, but finding an opportunity to experiment and don't judge yourself harshly.

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About Rachel Goodwin

Rachel Goodwin is a leadership coach and a renown expert on assertiveness in leadership. More about here work is here: rachelgoodwin.uk

Get in touch with Rachel on LinkedIn and listen to her coaching podcast The WordWise Coaching Podcast.

About Gerrit Pelzer and Martin Aldergard

More info about us and our work is on our website secondcrackleadership.com
Do you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for us? Would you like to explore how we can help you to drive results in your organisations through a company-wide initiative or individual executive coaching? Then email us at hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

To connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer