Leadership Sparring
A trusted sparring partner who understands leadership. We've been in the executive chair ourselves – and know what it takes.
Leadership Development and Style
Leadership is a continuous learning process. Even experienced leaders encounter situations where they are unsure of the right approach, where their usual leadership style is not working, or where they want to develop new skills. We provide sparring on topics such as: How do I handle resistance to change? How do I balance being clear with listening? How do I develop my employees without taking over their responsibilities? How do I navigate a culture that is different from what I'm used to? The goal is to help the leader develop an authentic and effective leadership style that fits both their personality and the organization's needs.
Strategic Planning and Business Development
Strategy is not just about vision and plans—it's equally about the choices you DON'T make, the risks you accept, and the trade-offs you make. We provide sparring on strategic questions such as: Which markets should we focus on, and which should we exit? How do we balance innovation and our core business? How do we ensure the strategy is not just a document, but is actually executed within the organization? How do we handle strategic uncertainty in a volatile market? The sparring allows the leader to test hypotheses, challenge their own assumptions, and develop strategies that are both ambitious and realistic.
Handling Challenges and Conflicts
All leaders face situations that are difficult to navigate: a key employee who is not delivering, a conflict in the management team, a threat from a competitor, a project that has gone off track, or an organization that resists change. In such situations, it can be invaluable to have a sparring partner who can help analyze the situation, identify the underlying causes, consider various courses of action, and prepare for the actual handling. We provide sparring not only on what the leader should do, but also on how they communicate it, how they handle resistance, and how they ensure follow-up.
Personal Career Development and Positioning
For many leaders, career development is not just about the next job, but about long-term positioning, personal development, and clarifying what they really want from their career. Do they want to continue as an operational leader, or move towards board work? Should they stay in their industry, or explore new areas? How do they balance career ambitions with family, health, and quality of life? We help leaders reflect on their career path, identify their unique value, and position themselves strategically—both internally within the organization and externally in the market.
Good sparring requires trust, confidentiality, and a genuine interest in the leader's situation. Our approach is based on a partnership-oriented dialogue where we explore challenges and opportunities together. We don't believe in standard solutions or generic advice—every leader, every company, and every situation is unique. Therefore, we always tailor the sparring to the leader's specific needs, leadership style, and context. A typical sparring session lasts 1-2 hours and usually takes place monthly or as needed. Some leaders want structure and fixed meetings, while others prefer flexibility and ad hoc conversations when the need arises. We adapt to the leader's preferences and work situation. Our role as a sparring partner is not to tell the leader what to do—that is their decision. Our role is to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, share perspectives from our own experience, and help the leader think clearly, see the situation from new angles, and make decisions with greater confidence and clarity. We believe that the best solutions often lie with the leader themselves—they just need a space to think them through.
Confidential and discreet – Everything shared in sparring sessions remains between us. We operate with full confidentiality and respect the leader's integrity and situation.
Based on many years of leadership experience – Our sparring is built on experience from leadership positions, consulting, and organizational development. We know the challenges leaders face because we have faced them ourselves.
Tailored to your specific needs – No two leaders are the same, and therefore no two sparring programs are the same. We adapt the format, frequency, and focus to the individual leader's situation and preferences.
Focused on concrete actions and results – Sparring should lead to action. Therefore, we always work to translate reflections and insights into concrete initiatives, decisions, and action plans that the leader can execute.
What our clients say
Holmgaard Management er meget fokuseret på sparring. De er åbne, lyttende og direkte i deres kommunikation. Efter første session kom Covid19. Det gav et lukket jobmarked. Så en ny strategi. Skarp profil. Flere jobsamtaler! Og inden min sidste session ultimo maj havde jeg nyt job som CFO! Og ny bestyrelsespost!. I Covid19 perioden. Det er stærkt.
Lars Berg, CFO
Great Greenland
Need a Sparring Partner?
Contact us for a non-binding conversation about how we can support you in your leadership role.