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July 16, 2025 51 mins

Welcome to The Leadership Toolkit with Mike Phillips, where this week’s guest is Nikolai Nielsen, founder of Potential Academy. Join us as we explore leadership growth, the importance of bringing others along in your journey, and Nikolai's fascinating background in consulting and personal development. With insights drawn from his experience across the globe, Nikolai shares his philosophy on education, inspiration, and the essential skills for effective leadership today.


One of the standout themes of the discussion was the importance of being an "evolved human." According to Nikolai, effective leadership starts with qualities that transcend industries and roles:

🔵 Self-awareness: Understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and values.

🔵 Humility: Being open to feedback and willing to adapt.

🔵 Compassion: Building meaningful connections with those you lead.

🔵 Active listening: Truly hearing others to foster trust and collaboration.


🧰 Tools of the Trade: Top Takeaways You Can Use

1️⃣ Embrace Self-Awareness: Evolving as a leader means recognizing one’s own strengths and weaknesses. Gamify your personal development—do something small today that leads to growth in a week.

2️⃣ Value Feedback: Implement 360-degree assessments to learn about your leadership style and not just on an annual basis. More frequent input can help steer your course in the right direction.

3️⃣ Be Bold: Allow yourself to dare big dreams. Reflect on where you wish to be in the next three years and align that with the vision for your team or organization.

4️⃣ Cultivate a Feedback Culture: Instilling a responsive feedback system leads to engaged employees and keeps the organization aligned with market demands creating rolling visions of a successful future.

5️⃣ Prioritize Human Connection: People-centric leadership forms the cornerstone for designing friendly work experiences. Nurturing an environment where people can grow together translates into improved group synergy.


Explore how you can elevate your leadership skills and personal development journey with Potential Academy's courses. Don't wait—visit their website to learn more and get started on your path to becoming a more effective leader today!


Contact Information:

Nicolai Nielsen

LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/NicolaiCN/

Web: Potential Academy 


Mike Phillips

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mike@TheLeadshipToolkit.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin.com/in/LeadTheTeam⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: ⁠⁠@LeadershipTLT⁠

YouTube: ⁠YouTube.com/@MikePhillips


Credits:

Hosted by Mike Phillips

Produced by The Leadership Toolkit Team

Guest: Nikolai Nielsen, Founder of Potential Academy and leadership expert.


Watch more episodes of the Leadership Toolkit at https://spotify.TheLeadershipToolkit.com

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* Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are solely those of the guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the host, producers, or any affiliated parties. The host and production team make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information discussed by guests on the show. Listener discretion is advised.


*** Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the links listed go to my websites and some are affiliate links that may generate me a sales commission if you make a purchase.

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