Building a Stronger Business by Transforming the Leader With Andreas Dankelmann

Andreas Dankelmann

After building and selling a successful business, Andreas Dankelmann decided to share his experiences with other entrepreneurs and business owners in growth mode. Today, Andreas is a Vistage Chair at Vistage Worldwide, Inc., the world’s largest executive coaching organization for small and midsize business leaders. Andreas facilitates confidential peer advisory groups and provides one-on-one coaching to help CEOs and executives make better decisions to achieve better outcomes. With over 20 years of executive leadership experience in Fortune 500 and privately held companies, Andreas also serves as an EOS Implementer, guiding leadership teams to gain clarity and traction.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[2:48] Andreas Dankelmann explains how entrepreneurship, coaching, and endurance sports intersect in his leadership philosophy
[3:54] Why making better decisions more often is the core job of every business owner
[10:38] The value of asking “Which part do you own?” to unlock personal accountability in leadership conflicts
[15:33] How Andreas uses the concept of business “debt” to identify growth blockers in companies
[21:33] A simple team alignment exercise Andreas uses to reveal strategic misalignment among leadership teams
[27:28] Why a company can’t outgrow its leader and how that realization changed Andreas’ approach to business
[30:33] The role of peer groups like Vistage Worldwide in helping leaders recognize and address their blind spots

In this episode…

Most business owners and executives will periodically find themselves feeling stuck, burned out, overwhelmed, and frustrated by slow-moving progress. Even the best-run organizations periodically experience stalling growth and loss of momentum. So what’s really holding back growth?

According to Andreas Dankelmann, a seasoned coach and former entrepreneur, businesses plateau because the leaders stall. Andreas firmly believes that an organization cannot outgrow its leadership, and the first step toward transformation begins with personal growth.

When leaders become clearer on their long-term vision and step out of the day-to-day operations to gain a better perspective, their entire organization benefits. Andreas shares how making time for deep reflection, asking the right questions, and co-creating alignment with teams can dramatically shift business outcomes.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, host Roman Polnar sits down with Andreas Dankelmann, Vistage Chair at Vistage Worldwide, Inc., to talk about how transforming the leader first leads to sustainable business growth. They discuss the leadership mindset shift required for scaling, the importance of clarity and team alignment, and why business debt can silently slow momentum. Andreas also gives advice on creating space to think strategically.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“As a business owner, you are in the business of making decisions all day long.”
“Most often, we have the right people in the right seats to get current results.”
“If you want your business to grow, you're going to have to grow yourself first.”
“You just cannot outwork it; it's just not going to work.”
“People support what they help create, so co-creating vision creates clarity and engagement.”

Action Steps:

Clarify your long-term business vision: Defining where you're going helps align your team and guide day-to-day decisions.
Get your leadership team in the same room: Comparing everyone's top priorities can expose misalignment and reduce silo thinking.
Identify and address organizational debt: Updating systems, roles, and processes ensures your business structure supports future growth goals.
Create weekly thinking time for yourself: Stepping back from daily tasks allows space for reflection, clarity, and better strategic decisions.
Co-create goals with your team: Involving others in vision setting builds buy-in, accountability, and stronger execution across the company.

Sponsor for this episode

This episode is brought to you by Pillar6. Pillar6 is a wealth advisory firm for successful individuals and families with active lifestyles.

Our clients appreciate having clarity and control over their finances and the peace of mind in knowing that their financial decisions are aligned with their core values, goals, and priorities. We provide financial planning services and wealth management services.

Schedule your complimentary discovery call to talk to us.

To learn more, go to www.pillar6.com or you can email us at hello@pillar6.com.