The Personal Business Plan Blog |

April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

📸 Photos from Summit Meeting: Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts II – TRANSITIONS!

By Mette Bruyant-Langer

Photos Jens Juul

On April 2, 2019, The Personal Business Plan hosted our second summit meeting:

Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts II – TRANSITIONS!

The venue was Dansk Arkitektur Center in the magnificent BLOX building.
The theme of this year’s Summit Meeting was TRANSITIONS.
And our speakers were, in that order:

Kent Martinussen, CEO, Dansk Arkitektur Center about Cultural Transitions
Bjarne Corydon, CEO and Editor in chief, Borsen, about Political Transitions
Mai-Britt Poulsen, Global Chief of Staff, Boston Consulting Group, about Leadership Transitions
Stephen Bruyant-Langer, President & Founder, The Personal Business Plan, about Existential Transitions

Continue reading “📸 Photos from Summit Meeting: Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts II – TRANSITIONS!”

December 20, 2018April 9, 2019

🍀PBP News #5 | Get Future-Fit!

Dear friend,

We’re on the brink of 2019. It’s time for annual reflection:

What to continue, what to do differently
What matters, what doesn’t (or shouldn’t) matter
Basically, How to live life best…

This issue #5 of ?PBP News is about GETTING FUTURE-FIT. It contains little tweaks you can give your mindset, so you can enter the new year of 2019 and continue into the future beyond, with robustness and peace of mind.

Continue reading “🍀PBP News #5 | Get Future-Fit!”

November 6, 2018December 20, 2018

Change will never be this slow again! What are You going to do about that?

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

Andy Kelly

Life starts with an inhale and ends with an exhale. Let’s make the time in between as joyful as possible. We all need to fight our existential anxiety regarding the future. Let’s get future-fit!

Evolution has gone from a linear to an exponential pace. Even our prejudices don’t hold up anymore! Trump has made unpredictability an art form. And all this creates a diffuse worrying – a fear of the future.

Continue reading “Change will never be this slow again! What are You going to do about that?”

June 22, 2018April 9, 2019

🍀PBP News #4 | GDPR & The Strength of Combining Brain and Heart!

Dear friend,

We’ll start with HOUSEKEEPING:

This is our first newsletter since the European data protection rules GDPR came into force on 25 May 2018.

We’ve updated our terms to ensure compliance. And we urge you to manage your subscription to ?PBP News – opt out or stay in as you prefer, by clicking the link in your emailed copy of ?PBP News.

Continue reading “🍀PBP News #4 | GDPR & The Strength of Combining Brain and Heart!”

May 31, 2018November 6, 2018

Are You Kind to Yourself?

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

One of my friends, a business psychologist, recently told me about the critical-friendly dimension.

At first, I thought this was not new – I knew perfectly well that there are two attitudes in life: One friendly and one critical. Some people are predominantly optimistic and positive, and some people are predominantly pessimistic and negative.

However, that was not what he was talking about. I should have guessed!

Continue reading “Are You Kind to Yourself?”

May 27, 2018April 9, 2019

🎥 Video from Summit Meeting: Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts!

By Mette Bruyant-Langer

Video by Kristian Skov

We’re happy to share the highlights of our inspiring Summit Meeting ?WHERE BIG BRAINS MEET BIG HEARTS? about Polarization and ‘The Movement from the Middle’, hosted by The Personal Business Plan on April 12, 2018, in Copenhagen, Denmark!

The summit was highly successful. This video highlights the best parts. Enjoy!

PLEASE SHARE…

Continue reading “🎥 Video from Summit Meeting: Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts!”

April 26, 2018April 9, 2019

🍀PBP News #3 | Leadership at three levels

Dear friend,

This issue of ?PBP News is about LEADERSHIP at three different levels:

Your first 100 days in a new leadership job
The empty bowl perspective
Our recent summit meeting “Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts”

Continue reading “🍀PBP News #3 | Leadership at three levels”

April 18, 2018April 9, 2019

Summit Meeting: Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts!

By Mette Bruyant-Langer

Today, 50 years after the Youth Revolution in Paris and 30 years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, we need again to fight protectionism, populism, and polarization. We must work from a both-and, not an either-or perspective. We must include, not exclude. We have the freedom to choose and the responsibility to act.

On April 12, 2018, The Personal Business Plan hosted a very special summit meeting:

“Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts!”

We are proud and happy to say it was a huge success.

Continue reading “Summit Meeting: Where Big Brains Meet Big Hearts!”

April 11, 2018August 24, 2018

7 Ways to Succeed in the First 100 Days of Your New Leadership Job

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

The first 100 days in a new job can be more than challenging for you as a leader.

Therefore, it is crucial that you prepare yourself thoroughly, and especially you must remember to listen to your new colleagues. Here are 7 points to be aware of when starting a new job.

Continue reading “7 Ways to Succeed in the First 100 Days of Your New Leadership Job”

March 16, 2018April 9, 2019

🍀PBP News #2 | Busting 5 Headhunter Myths!

Dear friend,

Welcome to the second issue of ?PBP News.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT ? – Reflections on career and life

*** HEADHUNTING ***

The HEADHUNTING SCENE is regarded by many as covert, secretive, clannish, and inaccessible. As a place driven entirely by networking among the top tier. As an environment where you are either in or out, and if you’re not in, your chances of a successful career seriously diminish. As a setting guided by the dogma:

“You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.”

Continue reading “🍀PBP News #2 | Busting 5 Headhunter Myths!”

March 2, 2018August 24, 2018

The Headhunter Behind the Scenes – The Simple Truth!

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Very often people ask me about the headhunting process, viewed from the inside.
Also, of course, about the tips and the tricks of the trade. This is exactly what this article is about.

For 20 years I was a partner in global executive search firms such as Korn Ferry. Over those many years, I built a systematic approach to evaluating candidates. I will share this approach with you at the end of the article. But first I will share with you some of the myths, I’ve encountered in my professional life.

Continue reading “The Headhunter Behind the Scenes – The Simple Truth!”

February 13, 2018April 9, 2019

🍀PBP News #1 | Welcome to our newsletter!

Dear friend,

You are reading the first issue of ?PBP News. Welcome, we’re happy to share tips and tricks, anecdotes and opinions, examples and cases on achieving The Good Life.

What binds it all together is our Personal Business Plan philosophy, our PBP System, and Stephen’s profound executive coaching experience.

It’s all about personal growth!

Continue reading “🍀PBP News #1 | Welcome to our newsletter!”

January 1, 2018August 24, 2018

52 Ways to Make 2018 Truly Awesome!

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

We all need inspiration to live a successful life.

A life, where all aspects converge into a sense of fulfilment and flow. As an inspiration for you I have selected one quote for each of the 52 weeks of 2018.

Please pick your favorite quotes among the 52 listed below. My ambition is that you identify 2-3 useful rules of engagement and focus on these in 2018. And then, go on to live an epic life!

Continue reading “52 Ways to Make 2018 Truly Awesome!”

October 18, 2017August 24, 2018

10 Ways to Success and Happiness

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

In March 1996, I reinvented myself.
I wrote my own Personal Business Plan, and I went from being a Chief Marketing Officer at L’Oréal and Coca-Cola to becoming an executive search partner at Korn Ferry. This all happened because I was fired back in 1996 – there’s always a catch!

Since then, I’ve spent 20 years building my brand as a Headhunter, an Author, an Executive Coach and a Speaker – always with Leadership at the pivotal center and The Personal Business Plan as the ultimate goal.
Continue reading “10 Ways to Success and Happiness”

September 25, 2017August 24, 2018

The journey of Emmanuel Macron towards Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

How are things really going in France?

Having just returned from my beloved France, my second home country, I still wonder how the recent leadership changes will affect everyday life. Specifically, I wonder how Emmanuel Macron will execute his reform plans. How will he enact his manifesto with the power granted by an absolute majority in the National Assembly?

Continue reading “The journey of Emmanuel Macron towards Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”

September 16, 2017August 24, 2018

Celebrating 5 Years in Business

September 5, 2017August 24, 2018

The Personal Business Plan is now online – What’s the story behind?

By Mette Bruyant-Langer

I’m really proud to present our online Personal Business Plan system.

This is a blog post, not an advertisement, so I’ll tell you the whole story from my end.

To begin with, here is a picture of Stephen and me in front of the Blue Ridge Mountains ?

Continue reading “The Personal Business Plan is now online – What’s the story behind?”

August 28, 2017August 24, 2018

Who is your hero?

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

Heroes

Sometimes, I’m asked who my hero is. I used to answer by naming a celebrity.

Earlier on I would have mentioned Nelson Mandela, Richard Branson, Barack Obama or other well-known personalities. Then my answer gradually changed. I started answering that my hero is myself in 10 years. I am chasing myself as I will be in 10 years. And now, 10 years later, when being asked who my hero is, I still answer: “Myself in 10 years”. I’m not even close to becoming my own hero. But maybe I’m getting closer. So, who knows, maybe in 10 years?
Continue reading “Who is your hero?”

July 20, 2016August 24, 2018

Do You Have the Courage to Commit?

Courage to Commit is what you show when you make a choice – and stick to it!

Often a certain level of risk is involved and therefore it is even more important to maintain your course. Young people don’t always have to wait till the right apartment, the right partner or the right education turns up. Sometimes you need to choose and then make your choice the right choice. See life as a decision tree and remember: History never shows the alternative, the fork you didn’t take.
Continue reading “Do You Have the Courage to Commit?”

May 13, 2016August 24, 2018

How Do You Maintain Your Learning Agility?

Being Learning Agile means knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do.

Recognizing situations when you feel insecure will help you predict such situations and act in the most relevant way when they occur. We all encounter situations that make us feel insecure. The secret is to learn how to deal with them and implement this behavior when faced with adversity. New patterns will form in your mind and actions – and progressively these situations will no longer seem threatening to you.
Continue reading “How Do You Maintain Your Learning Agility?”

April 11, 2016August 24, 2018

How Do You Reinvent Yourself?

Why do you need to repeatedly reinvent yourself? Well, during a lifetime you evolve so significantly that keeping the same descriptors simply doesn’t make sense.

You go through many different life phases and your self-perception is often lagging as regards your achieved new situation. You have to kill your darlings in order to proactively profit from new opportunities.
Continue reading “How Do You Reinvent Yourself?”

March 30, 2016August 24, 2018

What Is Your Life Ambition?

One of your greatest challenges in life is to make a living from what you care about – that which gives you deep satisfaction.

When you reach this goal, you will feel on course and resilient. Your existential choice must at the same time be tough and fun in order to satisfy you deeply.
Continue reading “What Is Your Life Ambition?”

February 29, 2016August 24, 2018

How does The Four-Leaf Clover work for you?

In my family we have a lot of sayings. One of them is “Do something”.

This means that you need to take charge and move in a certain direction – not just wait and see what happens. Another is “both-and”. This means that very often it is not a question of doing either-or, but rather choosing to do both. It’s an attitude where you don’t need to limit yourself – rather, you prioritize what you want to do. Sir Winston Churchill used to say: “History will be kind to me. I intend to write it”.
Continue reading “How does The Four-Leaf Clover work for you?”

February 6, 2016August 24, 2018

Pain is temporary – quitting lasts forever!

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

Recently, my family and I had the pleasure of climbing Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest freestanding mountain, reaching Uhuru Peak at 5.895m.

The magic combination of the full moon, the glorious sunrise, the view from the top of Africa, and the curve of the horizon was absolutely breathtaking. The adventure gave rise to the following key learning:
Continue reading “Pain is temporary – quitting lasts forever!”

January 16, 2016August 24, 2018

What Life Phase Are You In?

I remember when I went to school I always imagined that some of my most competent friends would make it big someday.

And now, when I occasionally meet them, the truth is obvious. Most people live average lives. That’s why it’s called average.
Continue reading “What Life Phase Are You In?”

January 1, 2016August 24, 2018

Do You Dedicate 50% of Your Time to the Future?

Responsibility stems from Response Ability. When you are aligned with your future then you are able to act effortlessly.

You enter a state of Relaxed Readiness, which enables you to act without great effort. You feel as if your reservoirs have been replenished – as if you have been re-energized from within.
Continue reading “Do You Dedicate 50% of Your Time to the Future?”

September 21, 2015August 24, 2018

Is There Still A Line Between Your Personal Identity And Your Professional Identity?

I am convinced we are approaching a more integrated lifestyle where the dividing lines between work and personal time will gradually disappear.

Do you remember when we talked about an on-line universe versus an off-line universe? That dividing line blurred a long time ago. Then we started talking about no-line. And now everything is on-line.
Continue reading “Is There Still A Line Between Your Personal Identity And Your Professional Identity?”

September 7, 2015August 24, 2018

When You’ve Done Well, Then What?

By Stephen Bruyant-Langer

Photo by Juan Jose on Unsplash

I am often surprised by how privileged people are unable to see the bigger picture, focusing on nitty-gritty hygiene factors in their lives.

Most people I deal with in my consultative work have done well. By many standards they are successful. However most still have existential doubts and unsolved dilemmas. Most of them still yearn for Freedom, Autonomy and Independence (don’t we all?). And the greatest comfort comes with the words: “Know That You Are Not Alone”.
Continue reading “When You’ve Done Well, Then What?”

August 17, 2015August 24, 2018

Why Don’t Women Put Their Birth Year on Facebook?

On a daily basis I’m surprised that I can’t see the age of the women I wish Happy Birthday on Facebook. Most men put theirs. There is no need to be embarrassed!

We all go through the same life phases. We all live through the same existential challenges. But when it comes to age it is as if half the population uses the ostrich strategy and buries their head in the sand.
Continue reading “Why Don’t Women Put Their Birth Year on Facebook?”