For years, especially while building a career and family, money looked like the decisive currency to me. Until I started to understand that our life is the sum of our exchanges.

That insight didn’t come in one big moment. It built across many years. Money matters. It helps create independence and reduce pressure. But in the end, it hasn’t been the currency that shaped the most meaningful parts of my career and life. Those moments were usually tied to people, love, and trust. They often came in situations where I was supported by others, or where I could help someone else grow and succeed. That is what truly lasts.

I came to realize that time is the most personal currency because you can spend it only once. Still, in many careers, the pattern is almost always the same. People spend time to build knowledge. Then they use knowledge to create money. Later, they try to use money to buy back time, only to find out that missed time and missed opportunities can’t be recovered.

But the question is no longer only whether we are making smart exchanges. The bigger topic is whether we are investing deeply enough in the one currency whose value is now rising fastest in a machine-driven world: human capability!

Because as AI keeps advancing and machines improve at being machines, we must improve at being humans. The kind of knowledge that will matter most will increasingly shift beyond traditional soft skills and technical fluency. It will be our “Human Power Skills” that set the stage. The ability to think originally. The capacity to care. The discipline to exercise judgment. The maturity to guide others well. The humility to challenge yourself self-critically. All the skills that AI and machines can’t automate and replicate at the required level.

So yes, our life is the sum of our exchanges. Spend your time wisely. Build the right knowledge. Use money for what it can do, but don’t confuse it with what makes a life meaningful. In the years ahead, the strongest investment most of us can make will be to become better at being humans.

*********
Human Power Skills are a core element of a new leadership approach I developed called HUMA, Human Leadership in a Machine-Driven Era.

1. The HUMA book will be released in May/June 2026. If you’d like to receive a succinct summary version in the next couple of weeks send an email via the contact form on my website.
2. For all German speakers, my new HUMA leadership course for managers and entrepreneurs will start in September at the European Business School (EBS). More info here.

The post We Have All Three Currencies appeared first on Andreas Von Der Heydt.

I’ll approach you with respect and humility.
You deserve nothing less.
There will be many hurdles to overcome,
and multiple mistakes to be made.
Once in a while I’ll fail. For sure. I know.

That’s why I’ll also challenge you with decisiveness and passion.
I owe it to you. And to me.
I must work hard to get where I want to go.
Staying resilient and positive. Not giving up easily.
I’ll also try to shape and influence you. Promised.

I’m confident I’ll make it. In a good way.

Why, you ask?

Because I have family and friends who stand by me.
There’s nothing stronger than love and kindness.
What I don’t know, I’ll learn. I can do it and will do it.
I’ll confront my fears and leverage my strengths.
And I believe in myself. In a humble, yet strong manner.

Most importantly though,
I will help others to grow, thrive, and succeed too.
What a wonderful source of inspiration and energy that is!

I’m ready. Are you?
Reach out. I’m here to help.

Best,
Andreas von der Heydt

The post Welcome 2026! appeared first on Andreas Von Der Heydt.

But my values? Those have hardly moved. They weren’t picked up casually, and they don’t get dropped easily. My life is still very much centered on respect for others, integrity, family, lifelong learning, community, and empathy.

What I’ve noticed: it’s not hard to hold onto your opinions. What’s hard is letting go of them when they no longer make sense, without losing the things that actually define you.

It’s easy to confuse flexibility with softness. But knowing what to question and what to protect isn’t weakness. It’s judgment. And it takes more of that than most people admit.

I try to stay open without drifting. To rethink without unraveling. It’s a fine line, but it’s worth walking.

It’s not always obvious which is needed in the moment. And that’s the question worth asking. Repeatedly. Quietly. Honestly.

Kind regards,

Andreas von der Heydt

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They learn that honesty costs them more than silence gains you. Over time, you become surrounded by echoes of your own assumptions, isolated not by walls but by your own defensiveness.

Real growth starts when you demonstrate you’re genuinely open to being coached. Coachability isn’t passive receptiveness. It’s an active practice requiring three tensions held in balance.

You’re coachable when you’re brave enough to hear what threatens your self-image, humble enough to admit what you don’t know, and relentless enough to act on uncomfortable truths rather than just acknowledge them.

Each quality alone is insufficient. Bravery without humility becomes arrogance, humility without relentlessness becomes stagnation, and relentlessness without bravery becomes rigid repetition of familiar patterns.

The question isn’t whether you’re coachable. It’s what systems you’ve built to remain so. In a world of constant disruption, noise, and ambiguity, coachability degrades unless deliberately maintained.

• Who in your life still tells you difficult truths?
• When did you last change your position based on feedback that stung?
• What have you built into your routine that forces confrontation with your own blind spots?

The most limited professional isn’t the one who lacks skill. It’s the one who’s stopped learning because they’ve stopped listening.

Best,
Andreas von der Heydt

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THEIR WORK

Joel Mokyr showed that progress happens when knowledge connects knowledge. He distinguished between propositional knowledge (understanding why things work) and prescriptive knowledge (knowing how to make them work). His deeper message: innovation depends not just on ideas, but on societies that are open to change, tolerant of failure, and free from entrenched interests.

Philippe Aghion & Peter Howitt built the first general-equilibrium model of creative destruction. A dynamic system where new technologies constantly replace old ones. Their work revealed that growth is a permanent race between innovation and obsolescence, where every breakthrough contains both creation and destruction. They showed how competition fuels progress, how monopolies slow it down, and how too little or too much R&D can both harm growth.

WHAT INNOVATION REALLY MEANS

Innovation isn’t about single inventions. It’s about each breakthrough building on the last, creating an endless cycle that transforms everything.
Creative destruction is the engine. New products and processes must kill old ones. Without this, we get stagnation disguised as stability.
Knowledge needs to flow everywhere. When breakthroughs stay regional or locked behind barriers, innovation dies.
Competition requires balance. Too few players or too many both kill innovation. The sweet spot shifts constantly.
Innovation creates losers, not just winners. Supporting displaced workers while letting obsolete jobs disappear is what sustains progress.
Society’s openness determines everything. Academic freedom, social mobility, and resistance to protectionism aren’t nice-to-haves. They’re survival requirements.

TAKEAWAY

For 200 years, each generation lived better than the last. That streak isn’t guaranteed, as economic growth is not the default state of humanity. Stagnation is. What keeps progress alive is courage: the courage to challenge the old, to reinvent, and to keep knowledge moving forward.

Are we paying attention?

Best,

Andreas von der Heydt

The post The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics – On Innovation appeared first on Andreas Von Der Heydt.

Here’s what really lies behind the question: For eight years Admiral James Stockdale lived inside Vietnamese captivity, in a prison cynically nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton.

He was tortured more than twenty times. He did not know whether he would survive, be freed, or see his family again. He refused to break.

After his release in 1973, reporters kept circling the same question. Who failed to make it out? “The optimists,” he said.

“The optimists? I don’t understand,” they would say, confused…

“The optimists,” he repeated. “The ones who kept saying, ‘We’ll be out by Christmas.’ Christmas came and went. Then, ‘By Easter.’ Easter came and went. Then Thanksgiving. Then Christmas again. In the end, many died of a broken heart.”

Freedom did not turn him bitter, and it did not make him a victim. He returned to teach Stoic philosophy at Stanford and at the U.S. Naval Academy.

To young officers he offered a hard rule for life:

Never confuse “Everything will be fine” with “I will prevail, even if everything goes badly.”

This is the Stockdale Paradox: Face the brutal facts without blinking, while holding firm to the conviction that you will prevail in the end. Optimism cut loose from reality is illusion.

Skepticism and clear-eyed doubt are not negativity; they are discipline. Real hope does not promise dates. It tells the truth about what must be endured, and then chooses to endure it.

Wishing you a realistically optimistic rest of the week, my friends!

Best,

Andreas von der Heydt

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Ego is your internal publicist, constantly working to convince the world you’re more important than you actually are. It feeds on external validation like a starving animal, whispering lies: “You’re always right,” “Others don’t understand your brilliance,” “You deserve special treatment.”

Confidence is quiet certainty that doesn’t need applause to exist. It knows strengths without diminishing others, admits mistakes without shame, and faces challenges without false bravado.

The workplace reveals this difference starkly. Ego-driven leaders take credit and assign blame, surrounding themselves with yes-people while making decisions to look good rather than be effective. Confident leaders share credit generously, take responsibility for failures, and prioritize what works over what impresses.

In relationships, ego demands to be right even when it destroys connection. Confidence chooses understanding over being understood, sees vulnerability as intimacy’s foundation rather than weakness.

Ego creates brittle bonds because it cannot tolerate being wrong. Confidence builds bridges by celebrating others’ success without feeling diminished, asking for help without feeling weak, and surviving failure because worth isn’t tied to perfection.

Five Ways to Build Genuine Confidence While Starving Your Ego

1. Master something difficult privately. Choose a skill that brings no social status. Learn an instrument badly, study an unused language, or practice crafts in solitude. Real confidence grows away from applause.

2. Seek feedback like a scientist seeks data. Ask trusted people for one strength and one improvement area. Listen without defending or justifying. Thank them and apply the information.

3. Celebrate others without mentioning yourself. When someone shares good news, resist relating it to your experience. Be genuinely happy for them. This breaks ego’s need to center every conversation.

4. Admit ignorance regularly. Say “I don’t know” daily when genuinely uncertain. Ask follow-up questions and let others teach you. Comfort with learning distinguishes confidence from ego’s pretense of omniscience.

5. Take on tasks where you’ll struggle initially. Join sports as the worst player, attend classes as a beginner, or tackle projects beyond current abilities. Confidence builds in the space between comfort and capability.

The paradox: the more genuine confidence you possess, the less you need to display it. Real confidence simply shows up, does the work, and makes everyone around feel more capable too.

What do you think?

Best,
Andreas von der Heydt

The post Confusing Ego with Confidence Is Sabotaging Your Career appeared first on Andreas Von Der Heydt.

In this context, traditional leaders face a high risk of becoming irrelevant.

High-Impact Leadership, a philosophy and new leadership approach that I developed, offers a possible way forward. It helps leaders thrive and get back in the driver´s seat, anchored not in quantitative output but in broad and deep impact to create lasting value in an increasingly algorithmic, automated, and technology-driven world.

Its foundation is straightforward but radical: High-impact leaders create and magnify impact in three distinct, yet closely interrelated dimensions:

Professional dimension: They generate unique and sustainable value in a professional context, through their work, with their organizations, and for other businesses and organizations.

Personal dimension: They create high-quality results by growing themselves as leaders and individuals, and also assist others to learn, evolve, and thrive, building strong, authentic, and stimulating relationships and partnerships for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders.

Societal dimension: Most importantly, they work and live to generate value that broadly affects people, the community, and the planet to make the world a better place.

Thriving across these dimensions requires peculiar capabilities:

To be precise, it demands what I refer to as Superhuman Skills: deeply human capabilities machines or algorithms cannot (easily) replicate, such as empathy, resilience, intrinsic motivation, creativity, cognitive agility, courage, ethics, collaboration, and trust-building. These are not secondary traits. They are the building blocks of the future of leadership and humankind.

These Superhuman Skills are grounded in five core competencies every high-impact leader must build and constantly develop:

• Establishing Psychological Safety: Creating an environment where people feel safe to contribute fully, challenge ideas, and take risks without fear. This is where innovation begins.
• Developing a Growth Mindset: Seeing discomfort as fuel. Continuously learning, questioning, and adapting in a world that punishes stagnation.
• Establishing Ownership: Taking responsibility for impact, culture, and decisions. Acting proactively, especially when it’s inconvenient or unclear.
• Operating in Excellence: A persistent pursuit of higher standards. It means delivering value that matters with consistency and intention.
• Applying a Coaching Mindset: Empowering others to grow by thinking with them, not for them. Leading through curiosity, not control.

The five core competencies form a connected system. Together, they enable leaders to drive change, elevate others, and become future-ready.

Undoubtedly, we’re living in an extremely complex, completely unpredictable, and super fast-paced world. This holds true for all of us: being a leader, employee, founder, civil servant, or just a normal person. It is up to us whether risk or opportunity prevails.

High-Impact Leadership is a holistic and profound approach to make leaders and others future-ready, to be professionally successful and personally fulfilled. It requires constant learning, unlearning, and—most importantly—love for and trust in your innate capabilities and unlimited human potential. For a better, more human planet in a world soon dominated by technology.

If you want to find out more about how to become a high-impact leader, join me at my keynote at the coaching.com Summit on Wednesday, June 4 at 10:00 AM EST.

Wishing you all the best in generating high impact. For you, others, and beyond!

Best,

Andreas von der Heydt

The post The Need To Become Better Humans appeared first on Andreas Von Der Heydt.

For many, it is overwhelming to experience this unstoppable wave crashing into every industry and everyone’s life. From Seattle’s corporate tech headquarters to Dublin’s busy service centers, from New York’s elite law firms to car manufacturing floors in Munich and Shenzhen, AI is transforming job markets with astonishing speed and efficiency.

And let’s not be naive. It is not just automating repetitive tasks or blue-collar work. It is also disrupting white-collar roles, automating decision-making, eliminating creative jobs, and even transforming complex professions like law, medicine, and finance.

But it doesn’t stop there. It is not simply changing how we work. It is eliminating entire roles, not because of economic downturns, but due to a cold, inhuman logic: if an algorithm can do it faster, cheaper, and without a single complaint, why spend a cent on human labor?

Yet, I want to emphasize that this is not a pessimistic take on AI and technology. Quite the contrary. As you know, I am a strong optimist who believes in the positive potential of technology, Gen AI, and the wisdom of humanity. My goal here is to shed light on both the opportunities and the risks so that we can navigate this transformation wisely, stay prepared, and continue to thrive. And as such, remaining successful and fulfilled in an increasingly AI-influenced world.

Jobs Displaced, Roles Reimagined

The “first” victims are clear: roles that are repetitive, rules-based, or data-driven are being devoured at scale. Customer service agents are being replaced by AI bots. For example, Klarna and BT have each cut thousands of human customer service jobs, automating them with AI-powered bots that resolve complaints in seconds. Data entry clerks and back-office staff are vanishing as AI-driven systems process information, detect errors, and generate reports faster than any team of humans ever could. IBM has already announced that 7,800 HR and administrative roles will be replaced by AI within five years. In law, JPMorgan’s COIN software now reviews complex legal documents in seconds, a task that once required junior associates.

But this is not just about low-wage, low-skill jobs. AI is devouring white-collar work too. At Microsoft, over 6,000 jobs were cut in a push to “prioritize AI initiatives,” including mid-level managers whose roles were deemed redundant. Salesforce has cut middle management, leveraging AI to monitor team performance and automate decision-making. Similar “initiatives” are happening at Amazon, Dell, etc. Even creative roles are not safe. Duolingo replaced its human content creators with AI language generators, triggering a backlash as users complained about a loss of quality. CNET used AI to write news articles, but when readers noticed factual errors, the backlash forced a review.

The reach is broader than many realize. Law firms are using AI for contract analysis, cutting the need for junior lawyers. Radiologists are facing competition from AI diagnostic tools that can analyze scans faster and often more accurately. Even marketing, once considered a human-dominated field, is being transformed. AI-generated advertisements and personalized marketing campaigns are replacing traditional creative teams.

Who Is Safe… For Now

Some roles are relatively safe, at least for now. Therapists are protected by the complexity of human interaction, critical decision-making, and empathy. Teachers and professors have an edge due to the importance of mentorship and human connection, even as AI tutors become more sophisticated. Mental health professionals cannot be replaced by algorithms because human empathy and active listening are irreplaceable. In creative industries, musicians, filmmakers, and artists who bring genuine originality and emotional depth remain valuable, even as AI generates music, videos, and visual art at scale.

But safety is relative. Doctors increasingly rely on AI for diagnostics, while teachers use AI to personalize lessons. Even creative fields are being disrupted. AI-generated art, music, and video content can compete with human creators, often at a fraction of the cost. In the legal field, AI tools now draft basic contracts and perform document reviews faster than junior lawyers. In architecture, AI design software can create entire building models in minutes, challenging traditional design roles.

For those who cling to old methods, the immediate threat is not just displacement. It is irrelevance.

The Skills That Will Define Success

In this AI-dominated world, it is not just what you do but how you do it that matters. Acquiring and quickly developing the following “Super Human Skills” will be critical, as they cannot be easily replicated by machines and algorithms… at least not in the near-term future:

Complex Problem-Solving: Understanding, analyzing, and solving unfamiliar problems without a set formula. Leaders who can reconfigure a disrupted supply chain when AI-driven forecasts fail.

Critical Thinking: Evaluating information, questioning assumptions, and making sound judgments. Financial analysts who challenge AI-generated insights rather than blindly accepting them.

Emotional Intelligence and Empathy: Understanding human emotions, building trust, and navigating complex relationships. Therapists who listen beyond the surface or customer service leaders who know when to step in personally.

Creativity and Innovation: Generating new ideas, designing unique solutions, and telling powerful stories. Marketers who use AI as a brainstorming tool but bring fresh, human insights to campaigns.

Leadership and Strategic Thinking: Inspiring teams, navigating uncertainty, and making tough decisions. Managers who use AI analytics to guide strategy while maintaining a human touch.

Adaptability and Lifelong Learning: Constantly upgrading skills, staying curious, and embracing change. An HR professional who transitions from traditional recruiting to managing AI-enhanced talent assessment.

Additionally, we must continue to develop digital literacy and technical skills: comfort with AI tools, data analysis, and automation.

Lifelong Learning: A Powerful Option

Continuous learning is not just a strategy; it´s the only option. The World Economic Forum predicts that 44% of workers’ skills will need to be updated within five years. IBM is retraining staff for AI roles instead of simply firing them. Singapore has launched a national program offering funds for every adult to learn future skills. At PwC, a $3 billion investment in upskilling has prepared tens of thousands of employees for an AI-driven future.

But most workers must take charge of their own development. In an era where job descriptions evolve faster than software updates, those who see AI as a tool to enhance their work, not a threat, will have a distinct advantage. But embracing AI means acknowledging a new reality: we are not only competing with human peers but also with machines and algorithms that can learn, adapt, and perform tasks often faster and cheaper.

A nurse who understands AI diagnostics is safer than one who does not, but that same nurse is also competing with AI systems that scan medical images and detect anomalies. A marketing professional who can prompt AI for creative ideas is more valuable, but they are also up against AI systems that generate personalized content and analyze consumer behavior instantly.

This is not just about learning how to use AI tools. It is about developing critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability. Those who can master these hybrid skills will have a good chance to thrive.

And even they will have to work hard and learn fast to keep up. For how long they can truly compete with machines remains uncertain. But those who choose not to adapt or simply cannot keep up will become increasingly vulnerable or obsolete.

The Ethical and Human Challenge

AI is not just an economic story. It is, more than anything else, a human one. For many millions, work is more than a paycheck; it is identity, dignity, and purpose. What happens when a graphic designer in Berlin, a software developer in India, or a customer support manager in São Paulo is replaced by an algorithm? What happens when a nurse is reduced to following AI diagnostic recommendations, or a teacher’s lessons are generated by software?

There is also a profound ethical question: just because AI can automate a job, should it?

Should elder care be managed by algorithms? Should classrooms rely entirely on AI tutors, replacing human mentorship? Should therapy be provided by chatbots? This is not just about what technology can do, but about the kind of society we want to create.

AI regulation must be clear, enforceable, and globally coordinated, covering transparency, accountability, data privacy, and human oversight. But this is easier said than done. In a world driven by competition, profit, and power, many will race to exploit AI for dominance, influence, and control. Nations and corporations often prioritize being first, the most influential, or the most powerful, regardless of ethical consequences. Without universally adopted standards, AI risks becoming less a tool for broad and accessible progress but more a weapon for dominance.

The Path Forward: Adapt, Empower, and Humanize

The future of work is not a fixed path defined by technology. It is a contested space shaped by how we use, regulate, and adapt to AI. For business leaders, the question is not just whether to adopt AI but how to use it responsibly. Will it enhance human capabilities, or will it become a tool for mass layoffs and dehumanization? The answer is rarely clear-cut.

Governments must ensure that education and social support keep pace with technological change. But this cannot be limited to digital skills. It must include developing the Super Human Skills, ethics, and the capacity to question and manage intelligent systems. Yet policy and financial investment alone are not enough. Ethical codes and a robust legal framework are essential, but they are only as strong as the willingness to enforce them.

Workers cannot afford passivity. Lifelong learning must go beyond technical skills. It means mastering adaptability, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking. These are traits that are still uniquely human but increasingly threatened by sophisticated algorithms. Those who engage with AI will clearly have better chances. Those who cling to outdated methods will be left behind.

But this is not just about adapting to existing AI. We are entering an era where AI merges with robotics, creating autonomous machines capable of physical and cognitive tasks. Humanoids are no longer science fiction.

They soon will serve as caregivers, customer service agents, and even companions. Advanced systems are already self-learning, making decisions without human supervision. Autonomous drones identify and engage targets. Industrial robots reprogram themselves for efficiency. The line between AI as a tool and AI as an independent force is blurring.

This raises a critical question:What if the future is not a choice? What if AI and robotics develop at a speed and complexity beyond human control? What if ethical guidelines and legal frameworks are too slow, too fragmented, or too easily ignored?

The pursuit of profit, national security, and geopolitical power has always driven technology faster than ethics can keep up.

We must question our assumptions. We must redefine what it means to be human in a world where even creativity, empathy, and judgment can be simulated. And we must recognize that without a global commitment to ethical AI governance, our choices may be illusions.

The future is being written. Let’s ensure we are the ones holding the pen. Will we succeed in writing our story?

Wishing you a stimulating and successful week!

Kind regards,

Andreas von der Heydt

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When I was in the gym the other day, pushing through my usual workout, I caught myself (again) avoiding a specific weightlifting exercise. I’ve been going there for years, but something about this one exercise always made me uncomfortable.

Maybe it was the way it looked. Maybe it was the quiet worry of doing it wrong in front of others.

But that day, I got tired of avoiding it. I grabbed the weights, took a deep breath, and went for it. Was it perfect? Nope.

Did a few people give me that friendly, knowing smile? Sure.

But none of that mattered because, for the first time, I didn’t dodge it. I felt a mix of relief and a strange, quiet pride. Not for doing it perfectly, but for doing it at all.

And as I put the weights down, I realized: this is exactly how life works. Doing uncomfortable things is weightlifting for life.

Uncomfortable things aren’t always dramatic. Most of the time, they’re the small, quiet decisions where you choose courage over comfort. Speaking up when you’d rather stay silent. Admitting a mistake instead of covering it up. Asking for honest feedback, knowing it might sting. Starting a conversation you’ve been putting off. Saying “no” when “yes” would be easier.

These aren’t just actions. They’re decisions to step outside your comfort zone. And they’re not just about building confidence. They’re about practicing vulnerability. Real vulnerability. The kind that means showing up honestly, without a mask. Owning your mistakes. Admitting when you don’t know. Asking for help without pretending you’ve got it all figured out.

Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s courage. And it’s the doorway to real growth. Because that’s where learning happens, outside the bubble of certainty.

That’s where a growth mindset comes in, not as a buzzword, but as a way of living. It’s the understanding that skills are built, not just given. That confidence is earned, not granted. That strength is the product of trying, failing, and trying again.

Think of the people you respect most, the ones who stay steady under pressure, who navigate chaos with calm. They didn’t get there by avoiding discomfort. They got there by choosing it. By leaning in. By making vulnerability a strength, not a shame.

How do you start? Not by taking on the biggest, scariest challenge you can imagine. Start small. Choose one uncomfortable thing you’ve been avoiding. A conversation you need to have. A truth you need to admit. A skill you want to learn but keep putting off. Do it. Then do it again.

And remember, just like in the gym, the strength you build doesn’t come from looking perfect. It comes from showing up, trying, feeling awkward, and doing it anyway. That’s how you get stronger.

What’s heavier, the weight of discomfort or the regret of never trying? What do you think?

Wishing you a sweaty and fulfilling (weightlifting) week!

Kind regards,

Andreas von der Heydt

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