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Leading Strategically
Strategy and execution, transformation, leadership culture, measuring, AI, growth.
Go deeper in the course · LEITWOLF® Academy, Course 6
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Why Transformations Fail – And How You Can Make Them Succeed
Many companies launch ambitious transformation programs – yet only few truly reach their goals. Studies consistently show that around 70% of…
Leading with AI – In Conversation with Katja Spörl (MD NewNow Group)
Artificial intelligence is moving faster than almost any other development in business. Many organizations are investing in pilots, tools an…
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Winning, Losing, and Growing – How to Build a Healthy Performance Culture
2026Everyone wants to win. But as a leader, how do you deal with it when your team loses? And how do you create a culture where high performance doesn’t come at the expense o…
Leading with AI – In Conversation with Katja Spörl (MD NewNow Group)
2026Artificial intelligence is moving faster than almost any other development in business. Many organizations are investing in pilots, tools and first use cases but still st…
Bold Beats Average – Why Strong Brands Need Strong Leadership | With Eliah Werner (VP Brand SIXT)
2026What does it take to build a brand that truly stands out – courage, creativity, or the culture behind it? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan speaks with Eli…
Does Being Human Hurt Performance? – How Great Leaders Do Both
2026Many leaders know this concern: If I lead with too much humanity, will performance suffer? And if I consistently demand performance, will I lose my team? In this episode …
From Crisis to Comeback – Leadership Lessons from the LEGO Turnaround
2026How does a company come back from an existential crisis and become one of the strongest brands in the world again? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan talks …
Leading Between Corporate and Family-Owned Businesses – Leadership Lessons from Stefan Leitz
2026How do you lead a company into the future without losing its identity? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan speaks with Stefan Leitz – an internationally expe…
Afraid of Feedback? – How to Build a True Feedback Culture
2026Why do so many organizations talk about feedback culture – but fail to truly live it? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan addresses an uncomfortable truth: …
Everyone’s Nice — And Nothing Improves: When Harmony Kills Leadership and Results
2026Why are teams often friendly – but still not successful? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan addresses a common but underestimated problem: team harmony tha…
Geopolitics, Crises, AI – How Leaders Create Clarity in Uncertain Times
2026We live in a time of permanent uncertainty. Geopolitical tensions, economic pressure, rapid disruption through AI, and volatile markets are changing the leadership landsc…
Leading Across Corporate and NGO Worlds – What Makes Leadership Truly Effective (with Till Wahnbaeck)
2026What is different about leading in corporations, NGOs, and entrepreneurial environments – and what remains the same? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan spe…
The Wrong Question – And How Leaders Learn to Ask the Right One
2026Why do smart, committed teams still perform below their potential? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan explores a powerful yet often underestimated lever of…
Delivering Growth – Leadership Lessons with Martin Hettich (Former P&G, now BCG)
2026What does it take not only to plan growth – but to actually deliver it? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan speaks with Martin Hettich – former senior execu…
Deliver Fast, Lead Smart – In Conversation with Norstat CEO Erling Eriksen
2026What does it take to deliver fast while leading with long-term impact? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan speaks with Erling Eriksen, CEO of Norstat. Erlin…
Unleashing Growth – How Leaders Get Stuck Teams Moving Again
2026Some teams were top performers just yesterday – and suddenly find themselves stuck today. Same people, same organization, yet out of nowhere: stagnation. In this episode …
Why Transformations Fail – And How You Can Make Them Succeed
2026Many companies launch ambitious transformation programs – yet only few truly reach their goals. Studies consistently show that around 70% of all transformations fail, oft…
Leadership Clarity – What 2025 Teaches Us and What You Could Change in 2026
20252025 was an exceptional year for many leaders: more results in less time, multiple transformations at once, rising uncertainty and a level of exhaustion that was felt acr…
“Take the road less traveled” – 30 years of leadership experience with Walter Geiger
2025What separates average leaders from the very best? And what can leaders learn from three decades of experience across global corporations and private equity environments?…
No Measure. No Leadership – Why measuring leadership makes all the difference
2025Many companies talk about leadership – but only a few actually measure it. And that is where the real difference lies. Because what isn’t measured cannot be improved. In…
Respectful Rebels – Leading with clarity and respect | Interview with Juan Pablo Velasquez
2025Great leadership is about challenging the status quo – but without losing respect for people. In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan speaks with Juan Pablo Vel…
When leadership isn’t a priority – What to do?
2025Leadership isn’t optional – it’s what drives performance. But what happens when it’s not a priority in your organization? When it’s ignored, underfunded, or left to chanc…
Employee engagement – An underrated KPI for every CEO | Team Behind the Scenes with Kris Sirchio
2025Employee engagement is not a soft skill – it’s a leadership responsibility. And according to Kris Sirchio, it’s one of the most underrated KPIs on every CEO’s agenda. In…
Dare to decide – Even without all the answers
2025Perfect decisions? Almost never. Good decisions? They take courage – and clarity in the face of uncertainty. In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan explores ho…
How great strategy starts within the team | Team Behind the Scenes with Ute Hagen
2025Welcome to a new series on the LEITWOLF® Podcast: Team Behind the Scenes. Once a month, Stefan speaks with a member of his team about real leadership questions, personal …
Learning from the crisis – How mistakes and setbacks strengthen your organisation | Crisis Part 5
2025Crisis is part of every organization’s reality. But what defines great leadership? It’s how you respond to setbacks. In the fifth and final part of the LEITWOLF® series …
From Mistakes to Mastery – 3 tips how to turn error into learning
2025Mistakes are part of being human. But how your organization handles them makes all the difference. In this episode of the LEITWOLF® Podcast, Stefan dives into one of the …
Learning culture in your company: How to turn mistakes into opportunities
2024Mistakes are inevitable - but how you deal with them determines the success of your team. In this episode of the LEITWOLF® podcast, Stefan explains why a good error cultu…
How to enforce an unpopular decision – 3-step plan
2024How do you implement unpopular decisions without losing your team? In this episode of the LEITWOLF® podcast, Stefan talks about how you can implement difficult but necess…
Leading in two worlds – Interview with CEO and top politician Dr. Werner Hoyer
2024Top politician and CEO - these are the roles that have shaped Dr. Werner Hoyer for over 30 years. In this episode of the LEITWOLF® podcast, Stefan talks to Dr. Hoyer abou…
Break down silo thinking: How to get all employees on the same boat
2024Silo thinking exists in many companies. It describes the extreme fixation of managers and employees on their own department. Silo thinking inhibits cooperation, increases…
Invest in learning instead of overtime – leadership through learning culture
2024How do you see the connection between learning and leadership? For Stefan, this is essential because success can only be achieved if learning takes place. However, mos…
Leadership and Innovation at Google – Conversation with Eric Tholomé
2024Leadership and innovation at Google? Stefan has invited Eric Tholomé to talk about this topic. Eric enjoys a tremendous professional career with many years in one of th…
Leadership success factors 2024: Wise goals, clear attitude
2024What are you planning to do this year? What inspires you? Stefan draws valuable insights from various fields, and this time he sheds light on the fascinating world of co…
How will AI influence leadership culture? – Stefan’s annual questions 2024
2024Will the wars in Ukraine and Gaza stop? Will interest rates fall? Will inflation fall? How will AI influence leadership? A new year has begun and the LEITWOLF® podcast i…
Entrepreneurial Leadership – How successful entrepreneurs think, decide, communicate and lead
2023Last weekend Stefan was invited to speak at EWOR Connect in Gothenburg. EWOR is a place where the most exceptional people find the education, network and capital to solve…
Lifelong Learning: The Hallmark of Impactful Leadership – Conversation with Barry Dequanne
2023In this interview Stefan talks to Barry Dequanne who is Director of The International School of Zug and Luzern – an independent non profit school in switzerland. Under hi…
Think faster, decide earlier, communicate briefly – Successful agile leadership
2023No matter what position you hold - whether you're an employee, self-employed, aspiring executive, or CEO - the pressure to lead yourself and others to success is constant…
From daydream to reality – This is how you really implement strategy!
2023Have you ever failed in implementing a great strategy? Then this podcast episode is just right for you! Stefan explores the question: What stands in the way of successful…
What to do when doing the right thing becomes expensive? | LEITWOLF Learnings November 2022
2022What can you do when doing the right thing becomes expensive? This is a question Stefan has been thinking about a lot in the month of November. Leading is easy when the …
Stress-free transformation – LEITWOLF Learnings April 2022
2022Stress-free transformation: How is that supposed to work? Do you also have people around you who feel stressed by the current pace of transformation? New COVID problems …
Strategy without action is a daydream
2022What is more important, strategy or execution? Today, with many years of experience in strategy and leadership Stefan's answer is "both are important”. Most important is …
Change. Leaps in turnover. Challenges. – Safe leadership in uncertain times – LEITWOLF Learning July 2021
2021Yesterday a CEO of a big German company said to „Stefan, how do I manage properly when my company is 25% below sales target in Q1 and suddenly 40% above my sales target i…
Motivating others: (How) is that possible?
2021Is it even possible to motivate people? This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked. And with this question that maybe you asked yourself or you have others h…
Which standard do you exemplify: Perfection or consistent excellence? – LEITWOLF Learning June 2021
2021„I always want to do everything perfectly!" I have heard this sentence several times from people around me. I think you've also said that before. But do you want that? …
Sing the same song of success and align your team!
2021„How do I develop my leadership team from strong functional experts and followers to strong cross-functional leaders?” This question or a very close version of it is…
Accelerating change without burning out – LEITWOLF Learning March 2021
2021Did you notice anything on my podcast episodes in March? Yes, exactly! - Our new LEITWOLF music. Because our entire LEITWOLF team doesn't want to just watch the change o…
Accelerating sustainable change – Interview Paul Polman
2021Hello and welcome to today’s LEITWOLF podcast entitled “Accelerating sustainable change“. Today I have the huge pleasure to have another conversation with one of the most…
Be perceptible LEITWOLF – LEITWOLF Learning February 2021
2021As long as performance is right... As long as the quarterly results are in the box... The human being? A minor matter, at worst even a disruptive factor... Does any of t…
Leading to results – Interview Werner Geissler
2021“And please regard this as an initial salary in the truest sense of the word. It will grow with your results”. These are words in the cover letter of my first employme…
Beauty, simplicity and leadership – Interview with Luisa Delgado
2020Today I have the huge pleasure to have a conversation with an extremely inspiring woman, a highly accomplished global business leader. It’s my pleasure to introduce LUISA…