SL015 Create Strong Connections

A personal vision can lose its relevance, even after years of guiding successful decisions. In this episode, Dr. Burkhard Bensmann explores why professional success can trigger a transition and introduces the idea of un-visioning. He explains how to recognize when an old vision has completed its task and why creating a new one too quickly may be unhelpful. The Fourfold Table, featured in his book Self-Leadership: The Key to Being Productive, offers four practical categories: Keep Doing, Do Differently, Do New, and Stop Doing. Drawing on his coaching experience, he discusses how reflection, distance, and conscious decisions can create room for new possibilities. The episode also connects personal vision with Bensmann Passage, his executive coaching approach for professional transitions.

A professional transition often begins before anything changes on the outside. This episode explores three early signals: declining identification with your role, shifting energy and growing interest in new possibilities. I use three fields from my Seven Fields of Self-Leadership to structure the reflection: Vision and Mission, Skills and Self-Development, and Added Value. Two coaching examples show how different such transitions can be. The guiding process is simple: Recognize. Clarify. Shape. I also introduce my coaching format Bensmann Passage for senior leaders who want to work on their next professional phase before external pressure takes over.

AI is not making leadership disappear, but it is changing what leadership roles require. Skills are shifting faster, management layers may become flatter, and pressure is increasing at the top. The episode asks three questions: How future-proof is my role? How future-proof am I? Do I still want this role? It also introduces the idea of a professional passage: the phase between one role and the next. The focus is not on predicting the future, but on recognizing change early enough to retain options. A short reflection exercise helps listeners assess their own situation. This episode opens a four-part series on professional transitions.

This episode translates Lead Yourself in a Crazy World into five practical challenges for modern leaders. Protect attention as a strategic resource—against overload and disinformation. Relate to AI consciously: clarify your stance, use a small toolset, define verification rules. Stay capable in the polycrisis: separate concern from influence, document decisions. Stay grounded in polarization: define a clear inner line and communicate with respect under pressure. Stabilize your system: body, soul, and mind—rhythm, self-efficacy, recovery. Integration via the Seven Fields of Self-Leadership as a simple self-check and next step.

Many executives start the day in reaction mode and lose the thinking space needed for strategic decisions. At the same time, AI accelerates the information stream and makes content harder to assess—especially as deepfakes become more credible. The episode offers three practical building blocks: first, personal focus rules that restore control over timing and channels (including fixed email windows, a daily 60–90 minute focus block, and stricter meeting discipline). Second, a simple three-question trust filter—who benefits, can I verify it, and what if it’s wrong—to prevent unnecessary escalation triggered by misinformation. Third, a reflective relationship with AI: defining green/yellow/red boundaries, using a minimal tool cockpit, and applying cyber hygiene such as second-channel verification for unusual financial or strategic requests. Small micro-rituals—like a short evening journal, a decision logbook, and a brief pause before responding—help keep clarity in daily noise and turn insight into practice.

In this episode, I introduce six essential future skills for leaders and teams. We explore Self-Leadership as the foundation for clarity, energy and ethical decisions. You’ll learn how to handle complex problems with better thinking tools and decision routines. I show how to use digital tools, data and AI responsibly and productively. We look at deeper collaboration, learning agility and real adaptability in change. Finally, we focus on entrepreneurial execution—turning ideas into concrete results. You’ll get practical micro-steps and a 10-day plan to start upgrading your skills.

This episode examines how universities must adapt in the age of AI and alternative learning platforms. Together with Professor Dr. Frank Ziegele, we discuss the concept of “authentic universities” and how they can balance tradition with transformation. We highlight the dual role of AI—as both a teaching tool and a disruptor of employment. The conversation also identifies the future skills students and professionals will need, such as collaboration and transformation management. Finally, we outline how medium-sized companies can benefit from closer cooperation with universities.

This episode explores the fourth field of self-leadership: coworkers, partners, and networks. It shows how respect, clarity, and psychological safety form the foundation for effective collaboration. Strong partnerships require trust, reciprocity, and clear expectations, while networks thrive on quality over quantity. Practical tools like the Energy Balance Check, a Networking Diet, and conscious Trust Signals help you strengthen your connections. Self-leadership is not isolation—it is about deliberate investment in meaningful relationships that amplify resilience and impact.

This episode of Self-Leadership with Dr. Bensmann explores why recognizing relevance is a crucial competence for leaders. It explains how relevance works at both a neurological and psychological level and why it matters more than ever in times of information overload and uncertainty. Dr. Bensmann introduces a practical 3×3 framework for strengthening relevance competence through attention, reflection, and action. Listeners gain hands-on practices to sharpen perception, align with mission and values, and protect focus. The episode concludes with a reflection impulse on what is truly relevant for the months ahead.

In this episode, Dr. Bensmann explores his concept of transformation openness - a critical mindset for navigating personal and professional change. He introduces a five-phase model that helps individuals understand and manage inner change, drawing from psychological theories and coaching practice. The episode also examines common risks of being overly open to change and emphasizes the importance of aligning transformation with one’s values and identity. Finally, Dr. Bensmann links transformation openness to the rise of AI, highlighting the need for self-leadership in an era of accelerating disruption.