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“The Window” — When Life Opens and Closes to Let Us Transform
There are moments in life when a window opens — quietly, yet unmistakably. You don’t plan for it. You simply know : if you don’t move now, you might not make it through at all. In 2018, one of those windows opened for me. It came at a time when everything was collapsing — the structures, the roles, the certainty I had built my life upon. I had reached a point where I was losing almost everything that had once defined me. And with it, I was losing myself. It was the lowest p
Carsten Diederich
Oct 262 min read


Endings Always Come First
I didn’t leave a company. I left a version of myself. Four nights ago, under the moonlight by Lake Geneva, I stood by the water with Focs by my side. In my hand: a small stack of paper notes — each one holding something I was ready to release. The fire was small. But the moment wasn’t. I watched the words burn, and realised something inside me was burning too. I leave behind all known routines, habits, and comforts. I leave behind colleagues who became friends. I leave behin
Carsten Diederich
Oct 202 min read


No One Prepared Me for Being Irrelevant
What remains when everything that once defined you is suddenly no longer needed? 1. The Empty Monday Morning From one day to the next, it...
Carsten Diederich
Oct 126 min read


🦉 From Manager to Leader: A Roadmap to Authentic, Data-Informed Leadership
For years, I believed leadership was about being in control. Deliver results. Hit the targets. Manage the risks. And for a while, it...
Carsten Diederich
Oct 82 min read


Vulnerability is not a strategy – Leadership in times of transition
This week, after 25 years in the corporate world, I took a decisive step: I said goodbye to Alpiq.It ’s a moment full of emotions –...
Carsten Diederich
Oct 22 min read


Resilience under Uncertainty – Lessons from Rock Bottom
Introduction: Leading in a Foggy World We live in a time where uncertainty is no longer the exception – it’s the constant. Markets shift...
Carsten Diederich
Sep 213 min read


Be Kind, Not Nice – The Joy of Real Connection
Discover why joy doesn't grow from being nice , but from being kind. Not long ago, I caught myself avoiding a conversation. It was one of...
Carsten Diederich
Sep 135 min read


From Vulnerability to Strength: How Leaders Build Trust by Showing Their Human Side
Introduction: The Misunderstood Concept of Vulnerability If you ask ten leaders what the word vulnerability means, chances are that most...
Carsten Diederich
Sep 44 min read


Joy as a Leadership Resource: Lessons from Life with Focs
When we speak about leadership and coaching, we often default to concepts like strategy, resilience, performance, or transformation....
Carsten Diederich
Sep 23 min read


The 5 Biggest Misbeliefs About Coaching – And How We Do It Differently at Owl & Fire
Coaching has become a buzzword. Everyone seems to have an opinion about what it is – and what it isn’t. Along the way, some stubborn...
Carsten Diederich
Aug 302 min read


Walking in Two Worlds: The Power of Being Both an Executive and an Executive Coach
When I began my journey into executive coaching, one question came up again and again: “How do you combine coaching with your role as a...
Carsten Diederich
Aug 262 min read


Questions That Triggered the Deepest Reactions in My Coaching
In coaching, questions are more than just words. They are keys that open doors—sometimes gently, sometimes abruptly—to hidden rooms...
Carsten Diederich
Aug 253 min read
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