personal development

The surprising modern insights of an old tradition!

Joerg Kuehn · Dec 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The word “Heimat” has a special meaning for me and many people in Germany, as it represents the area where we grew up, with all our personal experiences, memories, values, traditions and people. My Heimat is at the foot of the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) in the Eastern part of Germany.

The Erzgebirge is famous for its longstanding mining tradition. In 1168, the first silver ore was found near today’s Freiberg. The mining industry in this area produced silver and iron ore as well as lead, cobalt, nickel, zinc and uranium until the end of the 20th century.

The job of the miners was very hard. Working hours were incredibly long and the work was intensely tough, as they faced life threatening conditions hundreds of metres below the surface.

As winter approached, it got even tougher, as the miners would not see daylight for weeks and months, leaving their homes in darkness in the early morning and returning home after sunset. It is, therefore, understandable that these miners had a natural and strong longing for (day) light as a symbol of life, safety and hope.

Stumbling on Happiness

Joerg Kuehn · Nov 25, 2020 · Leave a Comment

I grew up being told I had a cat allergy. In October 2014, when my future wife Anne moved in, she brought along her cat, Sebastian. Initially, I was not sure this would work, but it soon became clear that not only was I not allergic, but life with a cat was a new and enriching experience. He added peace, playfulness and calmness to my life. Unfortunately, due to diabetes and other complications, Sebastian passed away in October 2015.

After a few month of “cat-less living”, we decided to get a new one. Entering Mrs. Wong’s cat shelter, we were greeted by more than a hundred cats. Our “target cat-specification” was very clear: black and male with a long-tail similar to Sebastian. Beginning to look around for that “perfect-fit”, one cat seemed highly interested in us and even jumped on us (s.picture). This cat was the total opposite of our target specification, as she was female and three-colour with only half a tail.

The next day, I asked my wife: “Do you think there was any meaning behind this cat jumping on us, almost choosing us? Should we go and get her?” Anne said yes, and soon the cat, which was called “JW2,” came home with us (JW – abbreviation of “Jurong West”, the district of Singapore where she was found). She was “off-spec” … but had chosen us.

Why am I sharing this story?

Could this trick help us through the tough winter ahead?

Joerg Kuehn · Oct 28, 2020 · Leave a Comment

It was a lovely evening on 25th May 2005 in Istanbul. One hour before the Champions League Final between AC Milan and Liverpool FC, coach Rafa Benitez, began to share the line-up for the Liverpool team.

After hearing the seventh name, Didi Hamann realised that he was not in the squad for the probably most important game of his career. Later in his bestselling book, The Didi-Man – My Love Affair with Liverpool, he would describe that moment as follows: “My stomach churned. I did not hear anymore after that. I was on the bench. It hit me like a hammer blow.”

Hamann continues: “I have to thank my previous coach, Gerard Houllier, for how I was able to deal with it. Gerard used to say: ’If you are not selected for the game, you have 2 minutes to get over your disappointment. Then you get your head up, as if you were going to play and prepare yourself!’”

The game starts with Hamann on the bench. And what a game it was. AC Milan totally outclassed Liverpool and seemed to be able to score at their leisure. Not even one minute was played when it was 1-0 for the Italians. Playing like they were “from a different star,” they added another 2 goals to make it 3—0 when the half time whistle blew.

Everyone thought, “That’s it. Game over.

The answers are inside – not outside!

Joerg Kuehn · Sep 30, 2020 · Leave a Comment

It was the 3^rd of September 2003 when Medical Manager CEO Michael Singer received a panic call from his division’s attorney. The FBI was raiding his R&D facility, along with several other locations across WebMD, a publicly listed company in the field of health information services. The FBI confiscated 1.2 million email messages, 1,500 boxes of files with more than 3 million pages of documents, and 830,000 computer files.

A few weeks later the reason for the FBI-inquiry became clear. It turned out an employee, who was internally investigated for taking dealer kickbacks, had informed the authorities about his dealings, alleging the company board was fully aware of these illegal affairs. He was hoping to cut a deal for himself.

Despite Michael Singer’s career as the CEO of a division with more than 2,500 employees, he lived a quiet, spiritual life in “the woods” where he moved in his early twenties to learn “how to quiet the voice in his head.” All his life, he had been practicing “how to surrender” and create “inner peace.” This federal investigation offered a massive challenge to his inner peace. If things turned out badly, he might end up in prison.

5 remarkable teachings from the “Normal-One”

Joerg Kuehn · Aug 27, 2020 · Leave a Comment

aug1 - 5 remarkable teachings from the "Normal-One"

On October 9^th 2015, during his first press conference as the newly appointed coach of Liverpool Football Club, Jürgen Kopp was asked how he would describe himself in the light of Jose Mourinho’s name for himself … the “Special One.”

After a brief thought, Jürgen answered, “I am coming from a small village in the black forest. Maybe you can call me “The Normal One.””

His humble roots and tremendous drive to win, together with his deep understanding of people and life, has made Jürgen Klopp one of the best football coaches in the world, bringing the Premier-League title back to Liverpool in July 2020 after 30 long years.

Sports can teach us a lot about business and life, so I thought why not describing 5 of Juergen’s magic lessons and show how we can apply them to actual leadership situations in our businesses and lives.

aug2 300x200 - 5 remarkable teachings from the "Normal-One" 1. Never walk alone!

Chelsea FC was leading Manchester City 2-1 on 26^th of June 2020. There were only seconds left to play. If the score held, it would give the title to Liverpool. Juergen, who was watching the game with his Liverpool team, picked up the phone and called his mum.

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