We create positive change by connecting separate worlds. Can’t think of a better reason to be in business.
Combining perspectives from different places – identifing strategies, positions and ideas that may surprise you
Analyses and Insights. What we read and write, share and think about
When Danish Firms Are Acquired: Leadership Between Meaning, Power, and Possibility
Danish advisory and knowledge firms are increasingly becoming part of global organisations. Often, the rationale is framed in terms of growth, access, and scale. But something more complex is unfolding beneath that surface. What is being brought into these structures are not only competencies, but distinct ways of organising work – grounded in professional judgement, trust, and relatively low hierarchy. As these firms are integrated, a new space emerges between local practice and global coordination. This space holds both potential and risk. The question is how it is led. What is at stake is not only performance, but whether the qualities that made these firms attractive can continue to shape what they become.
DSV chair's vague statements about criticism of execs come across as “old school and inexperienced”
In an interview with MobilityWatch, published in ShippingWatch, Kresten Schultz-Jørgensen comments on DSV’s communication in response to criticism of CEO Jens Lund’s management style. He points to a lack of clarity in the chairman’s messaging: an initial, more precise explanation – that increased investments in communication and leadership development were a direct response to criticism – was later softened, creating unnecessary ambiguity. As Kresten notes, a more direct acknowledgement would have strengthened credibility: that the company takes the criticism seriously and is acting on it. At the same time, he underlines that DSV is in fact taking meaningful steps by upgrading both communication and leadership capabilities. The case illustrates how consistency and precision in communication are decisive when companies need to demonstrate responsiveness and strategic direction under scrutiny.
“Pseudo-work 2.0 – Workslop looks like work, but isn’t”
In a Børsen opinion piece, Kresten Schultz Jørgensen examines the emergence of “workslop” – AI-generated output that appears complete but fails to move work forward. As production becomes trivial, organisations continue to reward speed, volume and visible activity, creating a shift where judgement is displaced by output. The piece identifies three underlying dynamics: a move from judgement to production, from ownership to circulation, and from quality to compliance. Work is no longer concluded, but passed on – leaving responsibility diffuse and value creation diminished. As he notes, “when everything can be produced in seconds, leadership must define what is worth producing.” The argument points to a structural leadership challenge: not how to use AI, but how to re-establish judgement, accountability and standards for what constitutes meaningful work.
AI Is Not a Technological Revolution. It Is a Leadership Revolution.
Artificial intelligence is often discussed as a technological breakthrough: faster analysis, new tools, more efficient production of knowledge. But in many professional organisations, the deeper shift concerns the structure of knowledge work itself. For decades, value has been tied to the production of knowledge – research, briefs, analyses, strategies. AI now performs large parts of this work with remarkable speed. As a result, the centre of gravity begins to move. Less toward producing information, more toward exercising judgement. The real question is no longer who can write the most or the fastest, but who can ask the right questions and take responsibility for the conclusions that follow. And that changes the role of leadership.
When Danish Firms Are Acquired: Leadership Between Meaning, Power, and Possibility
Danish advisory and knowledge firms are increasingly becoming part of global organisations. Often, the rationale is framed in terms of growth, access, and scale. But something more complex is unfolding beneath that surface. What is being brought into these structures are not only competencies, but distinct ways of organising work – grounded in professional judgement, trust, and relatively low hierarchy. As these firms are integrated, a new space emerges between local practice and global coordination. This space holds both potential and risk. The question is how it is led. What is at stake is not only performance, but whether the qualities that made these firms attractive can continue to shape what they become.
Resilience as Direction
A reflection on narrative as a leadership tool under pressure: In our conversation with Mette Kaagaard, CEO of Microsoft Denmark & Iceland, it becomes clear that a strategic narrative is not about branding, but about responsibility. In a time marked by cyber threats, geopolitics, and AI, concepts like resilience and digital sovereignty turn into concrete principles for action. The narrative is not layered on top of strategy – it defines mandate, priorities, and limits. When complexity intensifies, narrative is no longer decoration. It is direction.
Projects
.webp)
Our services are not a window of prototype products:
We see who you are, your potential and probably also your limitations. We challenge you by connecting wisdom from politics, business and culture.
And then we find what you truly need.
Buzzing
Featured podcasts
Media, Power and Provocation on Q&CO
In conversation with Henrik Qvortrup, Kresten Schultz Jørgensen tackles media responsibility, image ethics, and the price of silence.
Media, Power and Provocation on Q&CO
Leadership Nuances Unpacked
Grateful to Børsen for a thoughtful panel on leadership, from loyalty to personal branding, with insights from top experts Claus Richter and Pernille Steen Pedersen and Kresten from SJ&K.
Leadership Nuances Unpacked
Was it cynical spin when the owning family behind Nordic Waste finally broke their silence?
Was it cynical spin when the owning family behind Nordic Waste finally broke their silence? Kresten comments in this podcast.
Was it cynical spin when the owning family behind Nordic Waste finally broke their silence?
Welcome to Tom & Kresten
An intellectual cushion room for those who care about communication – or are simply curious about the world.
Every month, two seasoned advisors meet at the mic to unpack what lies beneath the messages of the moment: big ideas, subtle trends, and timeless thinking.
We meet once a month. And we promise: it’s never boring. Just necessary. Tune in – and think along.
The Year That Was. And What Comes Next.
The Year That Was. And What Comes Next.
In Praise of Good Language
In Praise of Good Language
AI and the Age of Strategic Nonsense
AI and the Age of Strategic Nonsense
Frankly, we are very few people – and we take pride in keeping it that way. We call it the inverted pyramid.
We know politics, business and culture. We write books and read a lot. You probably know us already.
