Julia Juergens
Supporting senior leaders and leadership teams to tap into their highest potential
Hello, I’m Julia!
My mission is to bring you in touch with your own deepest wisdom.
Why I do the work I do
I was sitting in my office in the United Nations HQ building in New York. Piles of folders with statements, speeches, talking points, presentations, political updates and other correspondence were on my desk. I had to review them before the Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping would sign them. I was afflicted. As I had worked for many years with leaders in several peacekeeping missions before, I did not believe anymore that those millions of certainly smart words would make any difference. None of it would truly shift anything significant in anyone’s mind. I knew what was missing was any element addressing human motivation, or any vehicle for true connection among the parties involved. My terrific job made no sense to me. My right elbow had been aching for weeks, and I was exhausted.
When I was sitting at my gate of JFK Airport to fly home for Christmas, I looked outside the window – and inside myself at the same time. I began to ask myself “Who am I?” “What do I believe in?” “What is mine to do?” During the flight, I decided not to renew my contract. And then these questions came up in me: “What am I truly good at?” “What do I enjoy doing?” “What does the world really need from me?” I took a sabbatical then, to upgrade myself as a professional mediator.
After that year, I happily accepted a new job in a peacekeeping setting: To manage leadership development for a large mission of the European Union in Kosovo. But again, I found myself wrestling with the highly comprehension-centered, instruction-focused approach of the organizational culture. Though I was proud of some change I achieved, I longed to do more, to go deeper.
So with great anticipation, I switched to the headquarters of an international private sector corporation, to manage their leadership and organizational development. And I was delighted to learn how much more focus they already placed on the inner human dimension, on self-leadership and collaboration. I loved their approach and I advanced it with my work for several years. But then more and more, I realized that I couldn’t fully align with the shareholder-owned “why” of the company. My personal values were often at odds with the priorities of my superiors.
In my work I needed both: A people-focused approach to change including the possibility to work deeply with individual leaders, AND to align my work with my personal values of making a positive difference beyond shareholder interests. What then? I dared to leap into the unknown, and I opened up my own business. Was I ready for that? Of course not, but the time for it had come. I recognized that I was to start working in full alignment with myself.
I focus my work today on helping companies, organizations as well as individual leaders to get to know themselves and their systems better, reduce “noise”, align internally (their values, their own knowing), and build up genuine motivation – so that they can effectively advance what they truly care about, and achieve the change that matters to them.
Let’s explore together what your needs are and how I can support you to identify and move towards YOUR highest potential, as an individual leader, or as an organization. Schedule a first, non-committal call here. I look forward to connecting with you!
My Values & Beliefs
Making a difference
…in this world matters most to me. I believe I am privileged to now know my particular calling, to have the freedom to follow it, and to do what I am really good at. I want to make good use of it, providing keys that serve and empower others.
Ease with uncertainty
The future has probably never been more unpredictable than now. I nurture my resilience, trust and inner peace from my belief that whatever happens, happens for me, not to me. Reminding myself that I need not know or control outcomes.
Integrity
This means for me to keep my head, heart and gut aligned. In any moment, seeking to pay attention to all three, notice a mismatch, and being honest and open about it.
Why Work With Me?
Finding the right consultant to support your endeavors can seem tricky. There are reasons why you might want to work with someone who knows your context, and there are good reasons to choose someone who has an outsider’s perspective.
With my extensive cross-sector and international experience, I consider myself a bridge-builder, with insights, perspectives and best-practices from a variety of fields – thus your ideal partner to help you maneuver complexity.
Qualifications
More than 20 years of leadership & work on all continents – in private, public and nonprofit sectors. Comprehensive international academic foundation, with continued professional development. Multi-lingual/-cultural management, coaching and facilitation.
Insider Experience
- International corporate groups METRO, DaimlerCrysler (HR, Communications)
- International public sector: UN, EU, OSCE (Civilian Crisis Management, HR)
- Chamber of foreign trade (Economic Development)
- NGOs (Social & Political Development)
Professional Certifications
- Systemic Coaching & Change Management
- Business & Workplace Mediation, Negotiation
- Leadership & Culture assessments (Barrett Values, Reflector Big Five)
- Other advanced training (coaching, facilitation, conflict resolution)
Higher Education
- Master Degree, MA (Political Science, Law and Communication)
- MBA Certificate (Frankfurt School of Finance & Management)
- University education in Germany, the UK, France and Portugal
My Approach
The more complex a situation, a question or a problem is, the less we are able to solve it with our rational mind alone. Apart from using our knowledge and experience, our logic and reasoning, we can also tap into what is defined as our higher consciousness, which is our highest form of intelligence: the source of our intuition, our innovation capacity and creativity. We then make better decisions – with ease.
There are many entry points and different approaches I use, depending on your preferences and whether I work with you alone, your leadership team, or your entire organization. What matters to me most is that you find a clear sense of direction, gain new energy and initiate action.
My Teachers & Sources
Many great teachers inspired and informed the way I work. Among them are Alan Seale, Brené Brown, Karl Grunick, Oprah Winfrey, Otto Scharmer, Richard Barrett, and Stephen R. Covey.