Patrick D. Cowden

Leading with the spark of enthusiasm

Patrick D. Cowden has the special gift of reaching people sustainably. With charm, wit, and infectious enthusiasm, the energetic speaker draws his audience out of their shell, captivates them, and engages them on an equal level. It's an experience that will stay with them. Patrick Cowden, an American, has held various management positions at international companies (Cap Gemini, EMC 2, Systematics/EDS (now HP), Bertelsmann (iTV), DELL Computer, and HITACHI Data Systems) in Germany for more than 25 years. Hardly any manager has more experience: having emigrated to Germany at the age of 20 without a degree, rising from aircraft refueler to general manager, equally at home in IT and the Internet as in marketing, sales, and content, Patrick Cowden knows leadership in everyday life and at its limits. As a man of practical experience, Patrick Cowden is aware of the weaknesses and opportunities of German leadership culture in a global comparison.

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Vita

Topics

His great strength: leading and inspiring people with authenticity, openness and passion. The author and entrepreneur in leadership conveys his idea of good leadership in his talks in an entertaining and informative way. Equipped with the enthusiastic energy and entertaining charisma of an American entertainer, Patrick Cowden does not offer off-the-peg performances, but a unique experience every time. To the delight of his audience, he also focusses on one thing himself: the spark of enthusiasm.

Beyond Leadership

Numbers instead of people, control instead of trust
What the reality is like in German companies
The anti-meme - obsession with control, fixation on numbers, spinelessness - how managers and employees can become real anti-memes with courage, openness and a sense of responsibility
Multicultural Leadership - A combination of the best leadership principles from different business cultures in the USA, Germany and the Far East for a new leadership style made in Germany
Energised Leadership - Energised leadership as a weapon against mediocrity and unambitiousness
Entrepreneur in Leadership - Entrepreneurial spirit including the courage to fail

References & Press

“Although Cowden has spent his entire professional life in Germany, his verdict on German boardrooms is as scathing as it is global: nowhere is management as fearful as in Germany. [...] The work [...] is always entertaining. [...] The author doesn't even leave out the most uncomfortable question of all: 'Are you a sissy yourself or on your way to becoming one?
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung

“Eggs, we need eggs. Not only Oliver Kahn demands this, but also Patrick Cowden.”
Financial Times Germany

“Dear Patrick, thank you so much for your breath-taking speech, for the inspiration you gave our attendees, your flexibility, your help in promoting the LMF in advance, for having made this event an unforgettable conference for all of us.”
Daniel Kusebauch, Managing Director of the Leadership & Management Forum Europe - Leaders We Love

“Patrick Cowden has an infectiously positive aura. He is a
convinced and convincing 'self-made man' who credibly represents his
credibly represents his leadership principles. Because he does not have a
He doesn't have a cheap toolbox for successful managers - he has character traits: openness, interest in people, intuition, a lot of heart and mind. Anyone can be a leader, that is Patrick Cowden's optimistic message.”
Thomas Reinhold - Senior Economist, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants on Patrick's appearance at the event “Conversations at management meetings”