About
My mission is to help leaders create organizations where we would love for our kids to work
Welcome to 21Leadership!
My name is Martin Ellemann Olesen. I am an entrepreneur deeply rooted in Agile and Teal leadership development and organization design, with over two decades of experience in guiding organizations towards agility and 21st-century leadership practices.
My journey began in the telecom industry, leading to pioneering Agile practices at Denmark’s TDC in the late 90’ and early 2000’. This early exposure shaped my career’s focus on business agility, organizational effectiveness and transformation.
In 2012, I founded 21Leadership to further advocate for Agile, Teal Leadership, and innovative work methodologies. My approach combines practical expertise, underscored by a Master of Management Development and various certifications, with a commitment to continuous learning and development.
In my career, I have co-founding Ugilic and Good Morning April, as well as held key roles ranging from team lead to senior manager at large organizations like Maersk and TDC. During my career, I have been immersed in a diverse spectrum of cultures and leadership styles. This exposure has enriched my approach, and shifted my focus from introducing Agile the “right way” to how Agile and Teal leadership principles and practices fits the purpose and culture of a given organization.
In addition to my diverse experiences with organizations of all sizes, including startups and global corporations, my role as a Professional Scrum Trainer with Scrum.org underscores my dedication to leadership development. Specializing in Leadership training, I focus on empowering leaders to adopt Agile methodologies, enhancing their ability to navigate complex changes and foster environments where innovation and collaboration flourish.
Beyond my professional endeavors, my passion for running and exploring the outdoors with my family embodies my belief in personal growth and resilience. This love for running, especially completing a 100-mile Ultramarathon, parallels my professional journey, emphasizing endurance, learning, and community. These experiences inform my advisory ethos, advocating for outcome focused, tailored solutions, collaboration, and adaptability. You can read more about what I learned about leadership from running 100 miles here.
For those on a journey of organizational transformation or seeking to foster leadership based on Teal and Agile values, I offer a pragmatic outcome focus approach based on solid real-life experience.
Please feel free to get in touch!
Martin
I’m realizing this mission by:
01Developing Agile and Teal leadership skills on all levels of the organization
02Helping design and develop team-based orgs. focusing on creating the highest possible customer value
03Supporting management in creating environments where teams can become autonomous
04Facilitating workshops and training in New Ways of Working, Agile, and Teal Leadership
05Studying the latest trends and signal in leadership and org. development and sharing my findings
06Sharing my experiences with leadership development in writing and as a public speaker
TESTIMONIALSSaid by people who worked with me
“Martin is a natural leader with huge drive and engagement in everything he does (professionally and privately). Martin has a high level of empathy and understands the role of leadership and how to be part of a leadership team, where he raises the bar in relation to culture, engagement, performance, and in helping people across the organization to unfold their full potential.
Martin is authentic and trustworthy and people naturally follow his lead. He does not need to be the center of attention but has no problem getting up on the soapbox when it’s needed.”
Max Sejbæk (Regional Director)
Fellowmind
“Martin’s leadership skills are well above what you can expect from your everyday manager. His skills as a catalyst in an organization make him an asset to any organization ready to introduce New Ways of Working.
Martin provides a solid foundation for people to excel and grow on their respective learning curves. He believes in a one-size-fits-one approach both at an individual, team, and organizational level.
Martin’s energy and general outlook on life are inspiring and highly contagious. When asked for an opinion or advice, Martin will always give a straight answer, even when the answer is uncomfortable to hear. I always respected and valued that! Martin has my highest recommendations.”
Claus Nielsen (CTO)
Sekoia
“I worked with Martin for almost five years. I watched him closely leading our company to New Ways of Working. Martin made it so easy for us that we adopted the values, principles, and practices without even thinking about it.
When it comes to leadership, Martin respects each person’s abilities and knows how to coach them. Martin also has an excellent feel for when it is the right time to make a change that will improve team performance and challenge the individual to grow.
Martin was always my go-to person when things got hot. He is a very friendly and energetic team player with an ability to create psychological safety and purpose for the people around him.”
Abdel-Rahman Awad (Senior Solutions Architect)
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
CONTACTHow can I help your business excel?
Let's discuss how I can help you explore New Ways of Working.
Bringing 21+ years of experience in helping organizations adopt New Ways of Working.
