Redefining Leadership Through Connection
In 2019, Bente Vosteen had an encounter that shifted her understanding of leadership forever. It wasn’t a lesson learned from a business book, a management seminar, or a corporate strategy session. Instead, it was a deeply personal realization “Leadership is not about authority; it’s about connection. When leaders and teams truly understand each other, they unlock a level of trust and collaboration that makes the impossible achievable.”
This insight reshaped her career, inspiring her to dedicate her work to helping leaders foster inclusive, people-centric environments. Today, as a life coach, consultant, and founder, Bente’s mission is clear: to help corporate leaders and teams move beyond hierarchy and strategy to embrace a leadership style that is human, intuitive, and deeply impactful.
But this journey didn’t start in a boardroom. It began with a passion for people, a love of learning, and a belief that leadership should feel alive, not just functional.
Laying the Foundation: A Passion for People and Growth
Bente’s career has never followed a conventional path. Instead, it has been shaped by a relentless curiosity about human potential and a deep-seated desire to help individuals and teams thrive. Her professional journey spans industries and roles, from strategic marketing and sales to hospitality management and executive consulting. Working with global organizations like Smith+Nephew, Johnson & Johnson, and BAUM Retec AG, she gained invaluable insights into leadership dynamics, team-building, and business strategy.
Yet, her most profound leadership lessons didn’t come from corporate settings. They came from observing the youngest members of society children. “We should all be able to experience the same joy, courage, and curiosity we had as children. Leadership should feel alive, not forced.” This belief became the foundation of her coaching philosophy: when leaders reconnect with their innate sense of purpose and curiosity, they create work environments that inspire innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth.
The Ascent: From Executive Leadership to Transformational Coaching
Throughout her career, Bente has held leadership positions across multiple industries, each contributing to her holistic understanding of workplace culture. However, it was her experience as a hotel director that truly sharpened her leadership perspective. Managing teams in a high-pressure, customer-driven environment reinforced an essential truth: “The best leaders aren’t those who dictate outcomes but those who create the conditions for their teams to excel.”
Recognizing that leadership was more about people than processes, she transitioned into coaching, consulting, and personal development. She began working with corporate executives and managers, guiding them to break free from outdated leadership models and embrace a more connected, intuitive approach.
Her coaching methodology is deeply rooted in sensory intelligence and emotional awareness helping leaders tune into their teams on a deeper level, foster trust, and create cultures of engagement and innovation. She believes that leadership should not be transactional; it should be transformative. “True success isn’t about working harder; it’s about understanding each other better.”
Breaking Barriers: The Power of Sensory Coaching
One of the most distinctive elements of Bente’s work is her focus on sensory coaching a concept that emphasizes the role of emotions, intuition, and physical awareness in leadership. She teaches leaders to recognize and interpret unspoken signals within their teams, creating a culture where employees feel valued, heard, and empowered.
She often challenges executives to ask themselves: “Are you truly listening to your team, or are you just waiting for your turn to speak?” This shift in perspective has helped countless leaders cultivate environments where trust and collaboration become the driving forces of success.
In her consulting work, she emphasizes the importance of leading with authenticity, helping professionals move beyond surface-level interactions to build genuine relationships within their organizations. “The strongest teams are not those that never disagree, but those that know how to listen, adapt, and support each other.”
Driving Impact: Coaching Leaders and Inspiring the Next Generation
Coaching Leaders and Inspiring the Next Generation While Bente’s coaching practice is deeply rooted in executive leadership, her passion for transformation extends far beyond the corporate world. She is the founder of erlebniswiese, a charitable initiative dedicated to helping young people discover their “why” through experiential learning. You can learn more at erlebniswiese.com.
Her vision is simple yet powerful: “If we empower children to explore, question, and dream, we will raise future leaders who lead with purpose rather than pressure.” Through erlebniswiese, she works with kindergartens and primary schools to integrate engaging, interactive learning experiences that nurture curiosity, creativity, and personal growth.
For Bente, leadership doesn’t begin in adulthood, it begins in childhood. The way we learn, the way we build confidence, and the way we navigate challenges as children shape the leaders we become. By fostering a love for learning early on, she believes we can create a generation of leaders who lead with heart, not just ambition.
A Vision for the Future: Leadership That Feels, Not Just Functions
Bente’s journey from corporate leadership to coaching and youth development reflects a profound belief that leadership is an experience, not just a title. She envisions a world where leadership is guided by emotional intelligence, deep human connection, and an understanding that true influence comes from within.
Her message to leaders is both simple and profound:
“What if leadership wasn’t about control, but about trust?”
“What if success wasn’t measured in numbers, but in the strength of our relationships?”
“What if we led with intuition as much as strategy?”
As she continues to shape the future of leadership, Bente remains committed to challenging outdated paradigms and helping leaders find new ways to connect, inspire, and transform.
A Call to Lead with Purpose
Bente Vosteen’s story is a powerful reminder that leadership is more than a skill, it’s a way of being. Through her work, she has helped countless executives, teams, and young minds rediscover what it means to lead with authenticity, vision, and heart.
Her approach is not about quick-fix leadership strategies or one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, she invites leaders to go deeper to explore their own motivations, to build meaningful relationships, and to create workplaces where people feel valued, inspired, and empowered.
Her challenge to leaders is this:
“Are you leading from a place of connection, or are you stuck in routine?”
“Are you truly listening to your team, or just managing them?”
“What kind of leader do you want to be, not just for your company, but for the people who rely on you?”
Leadership is a journey, not a destination. And as Bente Vosteen continues to guide and inspire, she leaves behind a message that every leader should remember: “Lead with purpose. Lead with connection. And most importantly, lead with heart.”
We Want to Feature Your Story in Executives Diary – Preserving Human History and Wisdom
Behind every brand, there is a brain that molds and folds startups into established brands, and behind every brand, there are professionals who drive the business in new directions. We want to read and preserve your story if you are a founder or an executive.
We are an invite-only network, ensuring that every story on Executives Diary is legitimate. Apply to get your diary in Executives Diary.
