A request for help with a job application. One and a half days of intensive work. And, by the end, a clear vision of what one’s own leadership style should look like – from the application process through the first 100 days right through to a vision for the future of one’s own area of responsibility.

I presented this case at the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Global Community Meeting 2026 in Billund (Denmark) and discussed it with an international professional audience. The meeting was organized by the Association of Master Trainers. The title of my talk: “No Idea How to Apply: A 1:1 Leadership Coaching Story with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®”.

It was really enjoyable to share my experiences, discuss questions and see just how much interest the use of this method in one-to-one coaching has generated.

It Started with the Application

A long-serving employee wanted to apply for his first formal leadership position. He knew the organization and the technical tasks well. In future, he would be responsible for an area with several different teams.

His original request was modest: support with the application.

In conversation, it became clear that bigger questions lay behind it: What qualifies me for this role? How do I want to lead? What do the teams need from me? And how would I shape the new role in concrete terms?

He had already attended leadership seminars. Even so, he found it hard to put his own understanding of leadership into words and to derive a convincing path for the application from it.

That is exactly what we worked on.

Discovering Your Own Leadership Experience

Over the day and a half of coaching, we used LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® to explore his experiences, his self-image and the requirements of the role he was aiming for.

To do this, he built models, explained their meaning and related them to one another. That allowed us to keep asking questions about concrete representations: What is behind this? Where does it already show up in everyday work? What of it matters for the new role?

A pivotal moment came when he realised just how much leadership experience he already had. Among other things, he had taken on responsibility as a handball coach and in coordinating projects, involving people and working towards shared goals.

These experiences took on new meaning. He could see what he could build on and what he could transfer to a professional leadership setting.

What began as uncertain preparation gradually turned into clarity about his own position.

What Becomes Visible While Building

I was particularly impressed by the knowledge that became accessible in this process. Experiences and ideas he had hardly expected at the start became concrete while building and telling.

In the end, the table held his picture of himself, his assumptions about how others perceive him, the requirements of the new role and his ideas for the future.

We could look at these perspectives side by side, discuss differences and make connections. Even concerns took shape. That made it possible to explore how he might handle potentially difficult situations.

The meaning of the models always came from him. My job was to design the process, ask questions and support him in applying his insights to the task ahead.

What became especially clear to me in this coaching is how much people already bring with them. Sometimes it takes the right approach to make this knowledge visible and usable for themselves.

From Insight to Concrete Next Steps

The work resulted in an application and positioning strategy and a concrete picture of the future leadership role.

In the end, there were four interconnected results:

• a clearer understanding of his own leadership identity,
• a positioning for the application process,
• a plan for the first 100 days,
• a vision for the area two years from now.

For starting in the role, for example, conversations with the teams and clarifying priorities became concrete. At the same time, a picture emerged of how collaboration between the different teams should develop.

His personal development areas also became clear: effective communication, understanding his own role in the organization and in leadership, as well as self-organization and personal effectiveness.

He now had a concrete path ahead of him – from the application through a possible start in the role to the longer-term shaping of his area of responsibility. For further work on his development areas, the organization subsequently commissioned additional coaching.

Taking This Case to Billund

This is exactly the development I wanted to share at the Global Community Meeting in Billund: how a request for help with an application turned into an intensive exploration of leadership and one’s own future.

I was delighted by the interest during the talk and the conversations afterwards. Talking about the approach with experienced facilitators from different countries was also an opportunity to reflect on my own work and take away new perspectives.

What especially stayed with me was the appreciative feedback from Per Kristiansen.

The personal encounters with Per Kristiansen and Robert Rasmussen also stay with me. The dedications in their book are a lovely reminder of those days and the exchange about my work.

Billund also offered plenty of opportunity to keep learning myself. In exchanges with other facilitators, it became tangible how different the fields of application and experiences are – and how much can be gained from working together.

Space for Your Own Leadership Role

This case shows one way to use LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® in 1:1 coaching: to reflect on one’s own role, tap into existing experience and develop concrete steps from it.

Such questions arise when stepping into leadership, as well as when taking on a new area of responsibility or undergoing a fundamental reorientation.

How do I want to lead? What can I build on? What do I want to change? And where do I start?

It is worth deliberately making space for these questions.

Would you like to sharpen your leadership role or prepare for your next career step? In an initial conversation, we will look together at your situation and at which form of support can move you forward.

The case has been anonymized to protect the person involved. Details about the organizational context have been deliberately omitted.

Note: LEGO®, SERIOUS PLAY®, the Minifigure and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this website.

Last week I was a guest at the University of Münster.

As part of the Technology Management bachelor’s module, I had the opportunity to give a guest lecture on agile strategy work using OKRs at the Institute for Innovation, Strategy and Organisation – a setting that is not something I experience every day.

A lecture theatre instead of a workshop room.
Students instead of management.

And at the same time: surprisingly close to what I usually experience in companies on a daily basis.

A brief moment before the start

Before we set off, there was that moment you recognise from other situations:

How much prior knowledge do they have?
How practical should it be?
And how can we successfully bridge the gap – moving away from theory and towards real-world application?

What makes the university environment special

What surprised me in the room was how open the students were.

No “We’ve always done it this way” attitude.
No rigid ways of thinking.

In return, genuine interest, lots of questions and a desire to really understand things.

The topics are the same

And that’s when things got exciting.

After all, the questions were essentially the same as those asked in companies:

• How does strategy translate into concrete action?
• Who will take responsibility?
• How do you stay focused in everyday life?

The context is different.
The challenges are not.

The lecture was also covered by the Institute and summarised here.

A moment that stays with you

In the end, I asked a simple question:

What will you tell others about this event afterwards?

For me, the answers were almost the most valuable part:
practical, easy to understand and engaging – with a modern approach, interactive and offering a genuine change of perspective.

My personal conclusion

The talk reminded me once again that:

Strategy isn’t something for PowerPoint.
Nor is it purely a ‘management issue’.

It must be tangible. Comprehensible. Actionable.
Whether in the lecture theatre or in the workplace.

Why such formats are valuable

It is precisely these kinds of formats, outside the traditional corporate setting, that are of enormous help.

They force you to:

• Explaining things more clearly
• Questioning assumptions
• to reduce complexity

And that’s exactly what I’m taking away with me.

Many thanks to the team at the Institute for Innovation, Strategy and Organisation at the University of Münster for the invitation and the open discussion.

Four days in Cologne.
Four days of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.

And above all: four days during which it has become even clearer to me,
just how much power there is in making things visible.

I was training in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method.
Not just to ‘build with bricks’.
But to learn another way
in which people can work together to make complex topics tangible.

What particularly appeals to me about it is:

• Everyone is building.
• Everyone gets to have their say.
• Nobody stays in the spectator role.

And suddenly there is something on the table that had previously been nothing more than a vague notion:

Strategy.
Tensions.
Cooperation.
Visions of the future.

Not on slides.
But visible and open to discussion.

I have completed the training to become a Trained facilitator of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method and materials.
For me, this is a valuable addition to my work in the areas of strategy, leadership and OKRs.

I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of it in the upcoming workshops. 😊

Note: LEGO®, SERIOUS PLAY®, the Minifigure and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this website.

Together with Niko Single, I have designed a calendar for 2026.

Not because you need another calendar.
But because that is often exactly what’s missing in everyday life:

A brief reminder at just the right moment.

The idea

No notebook.
You're not writing anything in.

It's on your desk
and gives you a thought every month,
which briefly realigns you.

What it's about

Topics from my everyday life:

Focus.
Just get started.
Personal responsibility.
Mistakes.
Leadership.
Clarity.
Decisions.
Learning.
Goals.

Short. Clear. Effective.

If you fancy it

I’ve still got a few copies left for 2026.
Just get in touch.

Many small and medium-sized enterprises do not have a strategic problem.

The direction is clear.
The ideas are there.

And yet, in everyday life, the reality is quite different:

• Everyone has different priorities
• Projects run concurrently
• Decisions are operational rather than strategic

The strategy exists – but it isn’t working.

What the real reason is

Not due to a lack of expertise.
But due to a lack of translation.

• Strategy remains foremost in the minds of management.
• There are too many topics at once.
• Leadership is not consistently oriented towards it
• There's a lack of connection to everyday life.

In short:
Strategy and implementation are not linked.

What makes the difference

An effective strategy provides three things:

Clarity – everyone understands the direction
Focus – there are few real priorities
Commitment Decisions follow strategy

And this is exactly where leadership becomes crucial.

The bottleneck in the mid-market

Most companies know what they want to do.

But they have no clear path,
how they will implement it together.

That is precisely where friction, tuning effort, and downtime arise.

A pragmatic approach

• Sharpen the target image
• Decide on priorities clearly
• Translate strategy into concrete goals (e.g. with OKR)
• Keep at it regularly

Sounds easy.
It is also – if it's accompanied cleanly.

Conclusion

Strategy is not a document.

Rather, daily practice.

The crucial question is not:
Do we have a strategy?

But
Does it work in everyday life?

If you realise your strategy isn't currently having the impact it should:

Let's talk.

I'll help you with that,
To sharpen and anchor strategies,
that it really works in everyday life.

In my consultancy practice, I repeatedly experience this: leadership at eye level is not a buzzword or a title for a breakfast event (which in this case was truly outstanding at Birmingham Tech Week in October), but the real game-changer for motivation and sustainable change.

What really works? It's often the simple things. Not the tools, but the attitude. In team workshops, I see how self-responsibility and dialogue strengthen employee engagement – far beyond methods. (And yes, sometimes that's the most important lever.)

Here are my 5 steps that I always use – and that any leader can apply immediately:

– Clear the air: Communicate goals and expectations openly. Nothing remains in the dark. Everyone knows what's what.
– Live transparency: Explain decisions, share backgrounds. This builds trust and genuine participation.
– Enable participation: Involve employees, listen to opinions, develop solutions together. This strengthens the feeling of togetherness.
– Delegating responsibility: Don't dictate everything, but ask the right questions. This fosters self-responsibility and identification.
– Foster dialogue: Regularly create opportunities for exchange. Give and receive feedback. This creates a culture in which development is possible.

One of my favourite real-world examples: Employees themselves decided how a completely new site would be designed, with everything that entails. The result? A strong identification with their working environment and a noticeable increase in motivation.

Leadership at eye level isn't an accident. It's work – at the intersections of clarity, trust, and participation. And yes: It really is work, but it reduces staff turnover and lifts team morale.

How do you experience leadership based on equality in your daily lives?

Let's talk – trustingly, friendly, and on equal footing. 😊

50 years of sailing experience on board – and I was the beginner
What I learned about leadership from the skipper. ⛵😊

Last year in Stuttgart, during my further training in narrative organisational consulting, someone said to me:
„Why don't you get a sailing licence!“
It sounded crazy at first – but the idea stuck with me.

Back in Münster, I signed up straight away – without ever having sailed.
In December, the theory exam for the SKS certificate took place. (Spoiler: The effort was greater than expected. 😉)

Then, this summer: 14 days of sailing practice in Slovenia.
New crew, new environment – and a skipper with 50 years of experience.
I was the new kid on the block. The procedures, the terminology, even reading the weather – it was all new to me.

💡 What have I learned? Leadership on a sailing yacht isn't theory. It's real action, every minute.

The skipper created a safe framework – mistakes were allowed.
He trusted instead of controlling – everyone took responsibility.
– In critical moments: clarity instead of discussion.

Leadership is not shown in words – but in behaviour. Especially under pressure. And at sea, you feel that every minute.

Unpredictability, complexity, responsibility – at sea, this is everyday life.
A good leader remains calm, provides direction and supports the team. Not through pressure, but through trust.

What particularly impressed me:
Our crew was diverse. One came from New Zealand. Different perspectives – a shared goal.
Just like in real business.

I'm taking away not only my newly acquired SKS certificate from this time, but also many new ideas for my work.
For: Leadership begins with the courage to try new things – and with people who help you grow.

🚀 What has been your biggest learning journey?

Let's talk – trustingly, friendly, and on equal footing. 😊

Two brands, one goal: Agility at all levels – but with their very own approach. 🚀

I'm often asked: Jens, how do these two actually fit together? AGILE AUGENHÖHE® and die.agilen? For me, it's quite clear – both brands stand for real agility, but they focus on different aspects.

With AGILE AUGENHÖHE®, I often support managing directors, owners, and executives of SMEs who not only want to introduce methods but also truly want to change their culture and collaboration. This is about:
– agile strategy that provides orientation,
– modern leadership that fosters responsibility,
– Sales that enthuse on an equal footing.

We build structures together that strengthen teams and enable self-organisation. The goal: agility that is noticeable in everyday life in the areas of strategy, leadership and sales – not just on paper. 😊

die.agilenwww.die-agilen.de) bring a different focus: pure OKR expertise. Here, everything revolves around Objectives & Key Results – the framework that makes goals and results transparent and allows for a focus on strategy work. We help organisations of all sizes to set and achieve their strategic goals clearly, step by step.
Clear OKR training for OKR Masters and managers,
– practical workshops,
– Support in everyday life, so that strategy work with OKR doesn't just remain a buzzword.

Both paths lead to the same goal: making companies strong and flexible for the future. But how they go about it is different – and that's precisely what makes the collaboration so exciting.

Every organisation is different. Sometimes new structures and attitudes are needed, sometimes a tried-and-tested goal and communication system like OKR. (And often both!)

For you, what is the biggest challenge on the way to more agility?

Let's talk – trustingly, friendly, and on equal footing. 😊