Blue Horizon Training was founded in October 2020, but it’s roots go back to the year 1980, when 10-year old me was attentively observing the guests of a garden party at his parent’s house. 

The guest list was made of about 20 high ranking military officers plus their spouses, born and raised in the various NATO countries. At some point a particular guest arrived, and his arrival felt somehow different. He was not the highest ranking, nor the most decorated of them all. Yet, everyone stopped to notice his arrival and go to greet him.  

Previous groups that had been standing together dissolved and seemingly out of nowhere, he found himself in the middle of a flock of people, leading the conversations somehow. 

I was fascinated by what just happened. What is it that makes people want to follow you? I had many questions that day. 

Fast forward another 10 years, and I was sent to lead my own squad into a ravine, as part of a military exercise during my military service. We weren’t the first group to go, and we have been told that somewhere inside the ravine, a group of young officers would lay in hiding, trying to ambush our small scouting squad. 

The order was simple: follow the path, expect an ambush, try to “survive”. 

Of course the exercise was rigged in the sense of that no squad was supposed to have a chance. The enemy squad had ample time to pick the perfect spot, and would most definitely see us first. 

Turning to my group, I said: “Listen, who here feels excited about the odds of getting shot at first, just like all the other groups that went in so far?” 

Nobody, obviously.  

So I ordered my squad to split in two pairs, and they would not walk along the path, but along the top ridges of the ravine instead.  When we opened fire on the oblivious officers down below, whose eyes were fixated along the path and expecting their next “victims”, the squad was celebrating.  

I was reprimanded (a bit) for my creative interpretation of “follow the path”, but more importantly, the win counted, and I made a huge deposit in the “Trust account” with my team. 

Fast forward another 29 years, and I looked back at a long leadership career at various international corporations, reflecting about what should be next in my life?  Having figured out what the 10-year old me was wondering about at that garden party, and having built highly successful, diverse teams many times myself. Having made first hand experience with both the worst and the best leaders and anything in between. Having enjoyed - above all - all those moments and situations in which I helped develop “the next leader” and see them flourish… it all seemed to come together like pieces of a puzzle. 

From that, full clarity formed in my mind about what my purpose is for the years to come: 

I work to inspire leaders to go from good to great, and from great to excellent.  

I provide leaders with the knowledge and support to grow, so they will commit to being worthy leaders. 

I strive to have a positive impact on what the experience of life at work is for the thousands of team members that work under the leaders of today and tomorrow. 

So I have founded Blue Horizon Training.  

And we do all of the above every single day.