From pursuing handball at a high level to leading teams and board meetings at McKinsey and, ultimately, finding his niche as a family office advisor & investor, this is the story of Kilian Graulich.

In this episode, John and Konsti sit down with Kilian to explore how his athletic upbringing instilled resilience and a learning mindset, the unconventional CV strategy that earned him a coveted role at McKinsey despite “average” grades, how he leveraged free, value-adding advice to build credibility in the opaque world of family offices, and his vision for scaling both his investment business and a community of family offices.

Key Takeaways and highlights:

* Athletic Resilience as a Foundation for Business: Kilian’s early ambition to play professional handball taught him how to rebound from setbacks, collaborate under pressure, and stay grounded when facing high-stakes moments. These are all skills that have helped him progress in his professional career.

* Standing Out Beyond Grades: Rather than chasing perfect grades, Kilian focused on the other two components that management consulting firms value highly, extracurricular activities and hands-on internships. By excelling in student consulting projects and serving on sports committees, he crafted a compelling story that secured a full-time offer at McKinsey, despite not having the best grades.

* Navigating McKinsey’s “Invisible” Gatekeepers: Early on in his career, Kilian realized that high performance alone wasn’t enough. He also needed senior partners’ sponsorship to increase his “luck surface area”. By showcasing his project results in the right forums and demonstrating how he added value, he accelerated his promotion track.

* Building a Trust-Based Network with a “Give First” Mindset: Kilian mapped his target group (single-family offices), identified key opinion leaders, and consistently introduced value, whether through investment insights or peer connections. He believes in “giving first”, insisting on only being paid if he actually delivers value.

* Character Traits That Matter: Kilian values authenticity above all. His ability to “call it like he sees it” makes even complex family-office discussions feel grounded and collaborative.

* Balancing Ambition with Reflection: While it’s important to have high ambitions, relentless forward focus can blind you to how far you’ve come. By periodically pausing to acknowledge his achievements, Kilian regains perspective and avoids burnout — a valuable reminder for anyone chasing big goals.

Enjoy the show!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

From being a top-10 German swimmer to winning gold in the Men’s Singles Sculls at the 2024 Olympic Games to embarking on a new journey in business school, this is the story of Oliver Zeidler.

In this episode, John and Konsti speak with Oliver about the strategic mindset that propelled him from rowing world titles in 2019, 2022 and 2023 to Olympic gold in Paris, the mental resilience that helped him overcome the trauma of a seventh-place finish in Tokyo in 2021, his transition into IMD’s MBA cohort, and his evolving vision for a career that leaves a lasting impact beyond sport.

Key takeaways and highlights from the show:

* Translating the athlete mindset: Oliver contrasts the clear “gold-medal” North Star of sport with the diverse motivations in an MBA cohort, emphasizing the importance of aligning individual goals through respect and honest dialogue.

* It’s a marathon, not a sprint: Drawing on his deep understanding of training to reach peak performance, Oliver argues that striving for 100% effort every day leads to burnout. Instead, he champions an “85% rule”, pushing hard but not too hard, to maintain high performance over the long term, whether in training or in leading teams.

* Process setbacks deliberately to grow stronger: After Tokyo’s disappointment, Oliver treated his seventh-place finish as a trauma: he worked with a sports psychologist, and consciously moved through the full grieving cycle. This intentional reset enabled him to “let go” of past failures and return to peak performance in Paris.

* Rowing as a metaphor for life: When you’re in a rowing boat, you face backwards, so you see clearly where you’ve been (the past) and what’s right in front of you (the present), but you’re “blind” to the future coming up behind you. By consciously reflecting on your wins and weaknesses (making sense of your past), you can translate those lessons into stronger decisions today, which will help you going forward, even if the road ahead is unclear.

* Savor the moment before chasing the next summit: Having habitually been “three steps ahead,” Oliver practiced pausing to fully enjoy each win. Consciously focusing on the present, rather than immediately plotting the next goal, gave him renewed energy and gratitude.

* Understand individual drivers to align teams: Oliver continually steps out of his comfort zone to learn what motivates each teammate, aligning their personal “why” with shared goals. He believes that taking the time to connect on purpose is as critical in boardrooms as it is in boats.

Enjoy the show!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

From learning to sail on Danish waters as a five-year-old novice to charting new waters in strategy consulting and now bringing all his skills together in business school, this is the story of Georg Bunk Lauritsen.

In this episode, John and Konsti sit down with Georg to explore how his international upbringing shaped his adaptability, the mentorship and grit that propelled him from a “terrible” sailor to national champion, his transition into management consulting, and his vision for the future of AI and leadership in the workplace.

Key takeaways and highlights from the show:

* Skills Are Trained, Not Innate: From struggling sailor to summa cum laude scholar, Georg exemplifies that “95% of skills can be learned” with deliberate practice.

* Building Relationships: Frequent moves taught him to dive into new environments and rapidly form connections, skills he leverages in both academic and professional settings.

* Adapting to AI: Georg anticipates AI/LLMs will transform consulting by automating routine tasks, but believes human strengths, like spotting the right problems, nuanced communication, and storytelling, will remain vital.

* Team Dynamics: He advocates for “team contracts” and regular “Team Dynamics” sessions to align expectations and surface issues early, preventing small problems from becoming “big, stinky fish under the rug.”

* Mentorship & Secure Bases: Whether coaches, family, or close friends, having anchors provides resilience and perspective amid constant change.

Enjoy the show!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

From growing up on a family farm to rising to the rank of Captain in the Danish Military, to his current journey of self-discovery at business school, this is the story of Georg Vind.

In this episode, John and Konsti speak with Georg about the lessons he learned growing up on the family farm, how he gained confidence in the military and overcame his childhood stutter, his evolving leadership philosophy, his vision for sustainable farming post-MBA, and much more.

Key takeaways and highlights:

* Hope & Purpose: True leaders “are leaders of hope”. To inspire others, one must “burn” with purpose and convey that fire to the team.

* “Plans Are Useless, Yet Planning is Indispensable”: Military leadership taught Georg to stay five steps ahead, empowering subordinates to think two or three steps ahead, avoiding micromanagement and enabling collective agility. As he says, “Preparing well gives you the comfort and confidence to face uncertainty.”

* Soft Influence: In group work, Georg exemplifies “blender” leadership, using data-driven arguments to sway decisions, welcoming diverse perspectives, and lifting quieter voices. A unique mix that gets the best out of the team.

* Ask Better Questions: He filters questions by the value they can offer to his peers in the classroom and always crafts them into concise, four-sentence insights.

* Balance Seriousness with Fun: Even under pressure, maintaining a sense of play (“having a bit of fun”, as Georg says) sustains morale.

Enjoy the show!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

Today, we are honored to welcome Professor George Kohlrieser to our show.

George is an American clinical and organizational psychologist who served for years as a police psychologist and hostage negotiator before becoming Distinguished Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at IMD in Lausanne. He founded IMD’s High Performance Leadership programs and sits on the advisory board of the Neuroleadership Institute. Kohlrieser is the bestselling author of Hostage at the Table (2006) and Care to Dare (2012), which apply negotiation and “secure base” principles to leadership.

In this episode, John and Konsti, who recently completed the High Performance Leadership course, sat down with George to explore how the high-stakes art of negotiation informs exceptional leadership.

Key takeaways and highlights from the show:

* Reframe How You View People. Shifting from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” reframes emotional triggers as rooted in past experiences rather than personal failings.

* Dreams as Lifelines. “Never live without a dream,” George urges. Pursue it with full joy, then, when it ends, grieve and chase a new one.

* 100% Caring & 100% Daring. Secure-base leaders combine unconditional positive regard (“caring”) with bold challenge (“daring”), holding people accountable without rescuing them.

* Vulnerability as Trust Capital. Strong team bonds require leaders to show vulnerability, sharing uncertainties or past struggles, which paradoxically builds respect and psychological safety.

* The Myth of the “Born Leader”. “Talent is essentially learned, 95% of it, so anyone can become a leader.” Ask “What kind of leader do I want to become?” and then develop those skills through deliberate practice, drawing on foundations laid by Carl Rogers and John Bowlby.

* Empowerment Through Choice. In both negotiation and leadership, offering real options gives people power. Every time someone makes a choice, they feel agency. Instead of issuing commands, hostage negotiators use a three-step process to achieve a 95% success rate: build a bond, uncover pain points, and then frame alternative choices.

Enjoy the show!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

From the Colorado ski slopes and Santa Clara lacrosse fields to corporate boardrooms and now IMD’s MBA cohort, this is the journey of Connor Lewis.

In this episode, John and Konsti sit down with Connor to talk about his “family first” ethos, how sport taught him to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable”, and the everyday actions he uses to build trust and drive team performance.

Key Takeaways & Lessons from today’s show:

* Family First. Before every career choice or locational move, Connors asks: “Does this honor my most important commitment?” For him, putting family first has helped him define success beyond salary and work credentials.

* You Can Control Your Attitude. You can only focus on what you can control. It’s that simple. Your attitude is one of those things. Not only does it make your day better, it also has spill-over effects on your team, friends and family.

* Harness Sport as Mental Therapy. Regular endurance exercise isn’t just fitness, it’s about getting space away from the desk. You can do your best thinking on long runs and bike rides.

* Little Touches Can Build Trust. Simple, consistent gestures like getting coffee for a teammate or checking in on a friend not only lift the other person’s spirits but also compound into stronger bonds, which ultimately benefit you.

* Stay Consistently Curious. Treat every project, team interaction or deal as an opportunity to learn and get better. Small, daily improvements compound into big, long-term gains.

* It’s Important to Articulate How You Act. Talking through your thought process and writing down your philosophy helps you capture your approach to life and how you see the future.

Enjoy the conversation!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

From “Attacking Viking” to MBA Classroom, this is the story of 29-year-old Olympic medal-winning alpine skier and current IMD student, Fabian Wilkens Solheim.

In today’s episode, John and Konsti speak with Fabian about his former skiing career, what life lessons he learned from sport, how he turned setbacks into his “love the process” philosophy, and how he’s discovering new things about himself and others through the MBA journey.

Key takeaways and highlights from the show:

* Process Over Outcomes: Three years in his late teens when former peers overtook him taught Fabian to shift from a “results-obsession” to “process joy” - falling in love with the journey, the teamwork and the time in the gym, not just the medals.

* Deep Work: One-minute race heats in professional skiing taught Fabian how to enter and exit “performance bubbles”. He then applied that unbreakable focus to multi-hour group assignments. As Cal Newport says in Deep Work, sustained concentration is today’s career “superpower.”

* Team First: While individual achievements are great, you can go even further when you build team culture, share learning, and hold each other accountable.

* Fail Fast, Learn Faster: The MBA is the perfect place to experiment with different leadership styles. It’s a safe space where feedback accelerates personal and professional growth.

* Self-Awareness Can Be A Superpower: Being able to spot your blind spots, e.g. getting tunnel vision and focusing too much on results, can help you course-correct before you derail the team.

Enjoy the show!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

From law graduate to Danish military officer to MBA student with big dreams, this is the story of Anton K. Amtrup.

In this episode, Konsti and John speak with Anton about finding purpose and taking ownership of your life, the benefits of military training, Anton’s views on future conflicts and warfare, his career ambitions post-MBA and much more.

Key takeaways and highlights from the show:

* Show Up & Do the Basics Well: By being consistent, showing up on time and displaying good manners, you’re already better than 80% of the competition.

* Limitations Are Only (Self-Imposed) Perceptions: Stretch beyond your perceived boundaries to discover your actual potential.

* Build Your Network of “5”: Surround yourself with people who raise your standards. “We are the average of the 5 people with whom we spend the most time” – Jim Rohn

* Don’t Forget Mental Hygiene: Therapy and coaching can do the same for the mind as physical training can do for the body.

* Ask Better Questions: By actively listening and asking good questions, you can deepen connections and help others more.

* Embrace Discomfort: Growth lies at the point where you are most scared of failing, whether that’s in special ops training or pitching a bold business idea.

Enjoy the show!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com

From random idea to reality, Konsti and John share why they started this podcast, which guests they plan to invite, their goals for the pod, their dreams and fears and much more…

Key takeaways and highlights from the first show:

* Ownership vs. Blame: Most respect for people who treat their challenges as “their own problems” to solve.

* Control the Controllables: Inspired by sports analogies, focus on effort and preparation, not outcomes beyond one’s grip.

* Window of Opportunity: Act in the moment (thank a speaker, raise your hand), those chances slip away in seconds.

* Masks & Pressure: True character emerges under stress, when the “high-pressure” MBA exams and sports tournaments tear away the polite façades.

* Start Before You’re Ready: “99% of success is simply starting.”

* Small Actions, Big Impact: Like their MBA application, one step led to entirely new friendships and opportunities.

* Your Network Matters: “Surround yourself with the right five people”.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.careersandcharacter.com