About
Jan Mühlfeit is a global strategist, coach of executive, Olympic games winners and author of bestselling business book The Positive Leader (Pearson, Oct 2016, Jan Mühlfeit & Melina Costi). His personal mission is “helping individuals, organizations and countries around the world to unlock their human potential”. Jan has a proven track record in building and leading successful teams, acquired through an extensive 22-year career at Microsoft Corporation where he served in various executive positions. His last role with the high-tech giant was as Chairman Europe (2007–2014).
Harnessing his in-depth knowledge and expertise, Jan has created a set of unique seminars – “Unlock Human Potential” and “Unlock Your Team’s Potential”. In these seminars, he coaches individuals and teams on how to uncover their personal strengths and find the best in the people. His techniques are valuable in driving business growth, showing organizations how to create synergy in teams, inspire people through positive leadership and deliver optimal performance in the different human activities through FLOW.
Jan teaches his courses on a worldwide scale and has worked with many prominent S&P 500 companies. Among his key clients are Exxon Mobile, GE, Dentons, Microsoft, Generali, UniCredit, Siemens, Bosch, Société General, Skoda, Skanska, Deloitte, Erste, Volvo, Total and many others. His methodology, which is rooted in positive psychology, is based not only on his own career journey, but also on the collective insights of many top individuals in the world of business, politics, entertainment and sports with whom he has had the honour to meet, work and spend time with.
Together with Katerina Novotna, Jan has created a special seminar for children and parents – “Unlock Your Child’s Potential” – which guides children on how to be more self-aware and find their personal uniqueness. Based on this seminar he wrote together with Katerina Novotna best-selling book “Unlock Your Child’s Potential”. In his own words: “Every child is a genius, we just need to find in what”.
Jan coaches high-level executives, Olympic games winners and artists from different countries and continents, and he works closely in the coaching and mentoring field with INSEAD, Imperial College, Gallup and the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital (a Harvard Medical School affiliate).
Jan is a well-regarded global speaker at WEF, Harvard, MIT, INSEAD, Cambridge, Imperial College, Washington Post and Economist events. As an established leadership and personal development specialist, he has been interviewed by CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Financial Times, New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
From 2008–2010, Jan was moderator of CT24 morning talk show “Rendez-vous” and recently hosted the Czech TV show “Hidden Potential”. He also has his own talk show called “Premier League Thinking”, broadcasted on Czech station Youradio. Together with Katerina Novotna they have talk show “Tips F1 for smart parents” broadcasted at Frekvence 1 radio. Jan served on different advisory boards of several European governments in the fields of ICT, national competitiveness and education. He also counseled on various projects for the WEF, OECD and EC
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The Positive Leader
Former Chairman of Microsoft Europe, Jan Mühlfeit, turns the lessons he’s learnt from his years at the coalface of leadership into a “how to” guide for busy managers. Based on cutting edge research, The Positive Leader reveals how to inspire your team, get results and do it in the happiest way possible.
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What others are saying about Jan and The Positive Leader:
“I had the pleasure of working with Jan in various leadership roles at Microsoft. He is a high integrity leader who brings passion and thoughtfulness to the business. He has played an important role in Microsoft's innovation and growth throughout Europe."
Kevin Johnson - President and Chief Executive Officer at Starbucks, Former President Platforms Division at Microsoft
“The Positive Leader by Jan Mühlfeit is the perfect guide that can help unlock greatness in any leader who wishes to be a catalyst for change and transformation.”
Deepak Chopra, Author, The Soul of Leadership
“The cornerstone of world-class success and happiness is self-awareness. This book addresses the most important decision you will ever make – to uncover who you are and offer your best to the world.”
David Svoboda, Athlete, 2012 Olympic Champion in Modern Pentathlon
‘’In an era in which good leadership is scarce, this book, the product of years of experience by its author in leadership positions, is an excellent guide to young aspiring new leaders.’’
Androulla Vassiliou, Former EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth
“Jan Mühlfeit was the star guest speaker to a weekend retreat for newly appointed partners at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm. The retreat was focused specifically on high performance. Jan spoke with passion, humility and great humour to scores of the firm’s senior leaders and rising talent from all regions of the globe, illustrating the messages of his bestseller The Positive Leader and drawing on the rich experience he gained as chairman of Microsoft Europe and as an accomplished sportsman and executive coach. He radiates energy and fulfilment and is a living testament to the highly insightful lessons shared in his book. Audience feedback was outstanding in its praise for Jan as a hugely inspiring and motivating speaker. People were clearly struck by the refreshing openness he demonstrated about his own life and by his determination that others should benefit from the great wisdom he has accumulated. Everyone left the room optimistic and enthusiastic about their new challenges.”
Richard Macklin, Partner, Dentons
Jan Mühlfeit joined Microsoft in 1993. After only one year at the company, he received the President’s Award for Excellence in 1994. Jan was named Regional Director of Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 2000 and promoted to Vice President in 2002. Under his leadership, CEE became the company’s best performing region worldwide for four consecutive years. In 2004, he also became a co-architect of Microsoft’s global emerging markets strategy and a member of the Microsoft executive board for emerging markets.
Following these achievements, Jan Mühlfeit assumed the role of Vice President of Microsoft’s Public Sector team in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in 2005. He was named Vice President, EMEA Corporate & Government Strategy in 2006 and was subsequently promoted to Chairman Europe, Microsoft Corporation in 2007. Here he played a crucial role in normalizing Microsoft’s relationship with EU institutions. Jan left Microsoft at the end of 2014.
Recommendations
"In sport, the boundary between success and disappointment is very thin and fragile. The psychological factor in a sports performance often plays a major role. However, mental coaching has great reserves in Czech sport. Together with Jan Mühlfeit, we are trying to change this through our collaboration in The Top Team project. I am glad that Jan opens through his experience other possible ways to better achievements and success for Czech athletes and trainers. "
"Jan's talk was brilliant and thought-provoking. I think we achieved our goal of shaking them up a bit."
"Jan’s workshop at HBS resonated very closely with me as I think about my leadership philosophy for the future. Jan compellingly brings together his real-world experience from his time at Microsoft with modern research into a dialogue on how to find personal meaning and become an inspirational leader – my pen did not rest from taking notes until the workshop was over."
"I have had the great pleasure of collaborating with Jan quite a bit in recent years in our joint efforts towards increasing Europe's economic competitiveness. Jan is passionate about encouraging positive transformations both at the macro and the micro levels and even when facing the most daunting challenges manages to maintain an extremely positive and optimistic outlook and attitude. I highly recommend him as a wonderful collaborator for any projects requiring energy, strategic thinking, creativity and optimism even in the face of adversity."
"Getting back up is the most important thing. You usually never learn it at school, except when you get the chance to welcome Jan. He is not all titles and awards, he cares. He cares about incarnating an honest example of what leading means in its most humbling, complex, excruciating, enthusiastic nature. Jan does not model, he inspires you to become a better you."
