Genius Leadership: Overcoming Everything Podcast

Can you go on a golfing trip with your friends in the middle of an intense, complex negotiation for your company? My today's guest, CEO of CL-Invest Arne Peder Blix, is sharing his experiences from 20+ years of starting, building and leading companies. From barely taking any paternal leave in his early career to going golfing in Spain in the heat of important negotiations, Arne's journey is a valu...

Ever woken up feeling like you're already behind schedule for today? Or had that suffocating anxiety about your work week on Monday morning? Then buckle up and listen in! In this episode, you will hear about: finding uniquely your system for preparing your week an activity that many high performers forget to integrate in their calendars the best way to start your day (that you might not expect to...

Feels extra special to release this conversation just when my husband and I celebrated 12 years together. Because many relationships don't last as long, or don't get to be in the great space that we're in after a dozen years with each other. My today's guest, Alma Dora Rikardsdottir, knows a ton about why relationships fail and is committed to solving one of the top divorce reasons with her compan...

Ever tried to organize your schedule, mental headspace or your home to help yourself get out of the overwhelm and stress? Only to fail miserably and add even more stress? This episode is for you then! In it, I share why these attempts fail and what you need to do instead, to set yourself up for success. In this episode, you will hear about: why organizing is the last thing you should be thinking a...

That super word of two letter that is so hard to say so often... How do you say "no" when your whole self really wants it to be the answer to yet another request from a demanding client of a lazy colleague? How do you make sure you don't end up always picking up slack in the projects you work on? And why the hell the "50 shades" reference? In this episode, you will hear about: why it is important...

Who loves being lonely at the top? We so often hear about this tradeoff to professional success, yet what does that loneliness look like, for real? Can we be married, have a social life and hobbies, and still feel miserable? And is that actually inevitable? My today's guest is Nick Jonsson, the co-founder and Managing Director of Executives' Global Network (EGN) Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia. Ni...

This habit is so ingrained in me that I somehow assumed we don't need to discuss it. But some recent conversations reminded me that going back to basics is always a good idea. So let's talk journaling. In this episode, you will hear about: the do's and don'ts of journaling when to journal how to start and what to do when you slip Stay safe and #standwithukraine, Anna Resources: My gift for you - 1...

Csaba Toth is back on the show, this time to dive deep into the topic of cognitive diversity. While the visible layer of diversity (having people of different ages, racial backgrounds, gender, etc.) is an essential step for businesses, it can become a big liability if not developed further.  In this episode, you will hear about: the downside of being unique the secret to being popular among collea...

How many times have you heard or read this quote: "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life"? How does it make you feel? I've struggled with it for years and now I finally can articulate why.  In this episode, you will hear about: dangers related to this quote research that shows the amount of love you need to have in your work to be safe why this research is a big deal, especiall...

This new episode marks the last one from our theme of Mindkicking and Mindshifting with Jonas Fröjd. We discussed emotions and feelings and how we don’t understand their range because of our intellect-obsessed society which teaches us to suppress them. You’ll also hear about exercises that can help you understand yourself better and improve your life. In this episode you will learn about: how defi...

In this new episode, we discussed Mindkicker Iceland Edition - a leadership camp with Jonas Fröjd, the co-creator of Mindkicker, and a former pro athlete with a martial arts background. You will hear about our journey, both physical and inner, which led our group of five people to profound conclusions and curious discussions. In this episode you will learn about: how Mindkicker Iceland Edition is...

This week, I invite you to listen to an old conversation between me and Jonas Fröjd, the co-creator of Mindkicker, and a former pro athlete with a martial arts background. In this new episode, we talked about the importance of martial arts in Jonas’s life, and how his mental training through his sports career changed the lives of others. In this episode you will learn about: how sports background...

Dedicated to International Women's Day, I'm sharing some thoughts that are potentially very triggering for women, hopefully permission-giving for men, and uncomfortable for all of us. In this episode, you will hear about: why I shifted from working with women to focusing on male leaders connecting the dots between my Zone of Genius and the needs men have in our society why I think the glass ceilin...

I've been on a personal development journey for over a decade. Being truly passionate about levelling up myself and my clients, I've seen and heard it all. Or so I thought. But in this episode, I share three well-being tips I recently heard or read about that truly surprised me. In this episode, you will hear about: the tip that got me going like "really?! Do we still need to talk about this?" a r...

Who would want to start a business in a highly competitive, saturated market? It sounds like an ungrateful thing to do, yet many entrepreneurs see opportunities in these circumstances. Few have the tenacity to bring their vision to life, so it was very valuable to sit down with Hermann Gudmundsson, an Iceland-based entrepreneur who succeeded in realizing his vision already back in the 1990s and ha...

Have you as a leader ever wondered how to nurture autonomy among your employees? Or maybe as an HR professional or an employee in general, you sensed such wishes within the organization? Well, I have a strong opinion on what it means for a company when requests for autonomy training are voiced, and it’s not a “hell yes, let’s do it!” In this episode, I share what I think is wrong with this approac...

Hustle culture is glorified by some and despised by others. While entrepreneurs' building successful companies is a tough journey by itself, I see how many leaders make it even harder for themselves. Ambition is a great force until you go overboard and start chasing your goals too hecticly. I sat down with Kim Ahlbom, Director of Consulting and Partnerships at VNTRS, to talk about his way from run...

This episode is a message I sometimes need to get myself. We all have those periods that feel like a continuous flow of no's. It might be during a job search, when you're looking for an investor, nailing that product-market fit for your startup, looking for a dream home or a life partner. Those periods can be nerve-wracking, depressing, draining, and demoralising. I'm sharing some tools and strate...

What do successful startups do right? And which banana skins are common when growing a business? Tune in for part 2 of my conversation with Vedanarayanan Vedantham, a startup mentor at Microsoft who has helped build and grow multiple digital products & brands across Fintech, Health-Tech, Ed-Tech and online travel. In this episode, you will hear about: why you should pay attention to customer stick...

What should startups focus on at the beginning of their journey of acquiring customers? I sat down with Vedanarayanan Vedantham, a startup mentor at Microsoft who has helped build and grow multiple digital products & brands across Fintech, Health-Tech, Ed-Tech and online travel. In this episode, you will hear about: the pitfalls of relying on paid marketing when paid marketing can be useful for a...

This show turns 2 years today, and I want to celebrate that with you! Let's sum-up the previous 24 months and 109 episodes with some birthday presents! Before January 30th, share your favorite episodes and takeaways for your network, subscribe to the show, leave us a review, and take part in a draw of three prizes: two packages of a book plus a sweet treat by our guests, and an invitation to a pri...

Sometimes, it's hard for me to describe to potential clients what exactly I do. Mindshifting is about having a safe space to learn more about yourself and to take action from a more informed and aligned place. It's not a 3-step formula or a fancy blueprint. It's a lengthy process where sometimes you hate me but most often, deeply grateful for having me in your corner.  One of my clients Rob Napoli...

Sometimes, the toughest questions in the moment are the best ones for your progress and success in the long term. One of my clients Rob Napoli shares some of my questions that made the biggest mindshifts for him. Listen in and reflect on those for your own life, happiness and success. Stay safe and #standwithukraine, Anna Resources: Connect with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnap/ Check out h...

How do you handle tough feelings and dark thoughts in the festive times when everyone is supposed to be joyous and happy? If you feel worried, depressed, stressed, or anxious around the holidays, I see you, I feel you! Listen to this honest sharing of how it is to sit on rock bottom and observe the life happening up there, over the water's surface. Let's normalise not feeling well when all you're...

What's common between drumming in a heavy rock band, digitalising national post services, and growing a newly established airline? My guest today is Birgir Jonsson, the CEO of Iceland-based Play Airline who has done it all. We discuss Birgir's experience as a drummer and which learnings he took from that time to his job as a CEO in diverse companies. We also touch upon being an outsider, building...