Alexander Bakardjiev
Executive Facilitator, Psychologist, Transformation Consultant
Phone:
+30 694 410 8282
Email:
The Coolest Job on Earth
I led a tactical operations team of consultants & psychologists who deployed into organizations to accomplish missions critical to the company strategy. We partnered with Senior Executives to co-create their strategic objectives. Depending on what was needed, we would parachute into the organization, complete our missions, and then reconvene in the strategy room. We shared what we learned, iterated the plan with the Executive Team, and then deployed again for our next missions.
The types of missions included launching and coaching mission-critical project teams, welding interfaces between functions, resolving tension or conflict between parties, assessing and selecting candidates for key leadership roles, specific coaching engagements for pivotal leaders, creating and nourishing communities, erecting and developing functions/ departments, conducting vision & strategy sessions for key groups, designing and facilitating leadership development programs for specific cohorts, facilitating large-group summits & launch events.
This job was amazing , challenging, stimulating, and meaningful. We gained broad, front-line exposure to business challenges across all levels of an organization, as well as insights into human psychology. Plus, we made a difference.
Showcase
Areas of Expertise
Organizational Transformation
Leadership Development
Team Development
Individual Coaching
To survive today and thrive tomorrow, organizations must evolve. To evolve an organization, we focus on its DNA: the vision & strategy, its culture, its design & processes, and its leadership. Only a balanced approach yields results, and only an approach which equips and embeds changes can be sustainable. Together with business leaders and HR experts, we help organizations achieve their full potential by catalyzing transformation at the deepest levels.
'Leadership development' used to be dry trainings on communications and conflict management, with an e-learning module. Now we know that Leadership is fundamentally a spiritual practice: aligning personal calling and organizational purpose to unleash incalculable energy. Whether it means helping technical SME’s develop their people leadership skills, or helping top management evolve their psychology, the art of leadership development requires the same surgical tact and sensitive intuition as a doctor or therapist.
When we watch a hockey team weave the puck between defenders and sink it in the back of the net, we spontaneously stand and cheer in awe. This is because we have just witnessed collective intelligence on display. The same type of magic can and should exist at work. By bringing skilled members together around a clear objective, with everyone knowing who is doing what, supported by a culture of trust and psychological safety, the team becomes more than the sum of its parts. Get out of their way and let them be awesome. We help teams achieve greatness.
To change society, organizations, teams, we must work with individuals: if individuals don’t change, nothing else can. Each individual has a divine spark to share with the world. We will experiences challenges in realizing our full potential. At the same time, existing in each of us is the latent potential to overcome any challenge. We just need to find it. A skilled coach is trained to spot the chains which you aren't aware of, and then to help you manifest the dormant internal resources to help you overcome. My favorite moments: playing a role in someone's breakthrough and helping him/ her find their groove.
The Facts
People like figures, so here are the career highlights expressed in numbers & data
Team Lead
I led a team of 8 outstanding customer facing consultants and project managers. Without them, none of this would have been possible.
Strategic Account Manager
Together with the team, we took care of the oldest and most precious key accounts & customer relationships in the company.
Top-class Value Generation
For 3 years we generated 25% of the company’s revenue, while achieving 21% profitability (average was approximately 15%).
Customer Favorite
I’ve been consistently one of the most requested consultants, billing more days than 95% of the company for 4 years. That’s why I have so many gray hairs :)
Stories from the Front-lines
Career Highlights
Thinking through a Wall
Where: Tehran, Iran
When: July, 2019
Context: Sanctions had cut off supply lines of critical components for healthcare testing equipment.
Mission: How can we legally find access to these parts again?
In 2019 additional sanctions were imposed on Iran. As usual, the citizenry suffers most. One impact was that repair parts for hospital equipment were restricted. This affected people's health, and the overall healthcare/ economic system. We were flown in to help somehow. We assembled experts from a Swiss biotech company which had a branch in Tehran, and locked ourselves in a room to crack the problem.
Using Ideo's Design Thinking method, we deconstructed the topic to analyze it from different angles. After a day and a half, the group was deflated and demoralized; the wall remained. In seemingly sarcastic exasperation, one guy said 'Well, we could try XXX.' The idea hung silently in the room. Another guy build on it: 'Yes, we could then talk to YYY to get ZZZ.' Thoughts triggered in others, and they chimed in too. I watched as the idea ping-ponged around the room, evolving and crystalizing into a viable solution. 30 minutes later they had a rough sketch drawn on a flipchart. There was a long pause.
As they looked to one another, and back at the sketch, there was an aura of disbelief. Slowly the realization dawned on them, and smiles began to spread across the room. A solution had emerged. Suddenly there was excitement & motivation. An energy spread which they hadn't felt in who knows how long: Hope. They spent the rest of the 3-days enthusiastically fleshing out their plan. They presented the idea to their organization and the hope spread like a revitalizing fire.
This moment was significant for me because I got to be part of overcoming a seemingly impossible barrier. I am still connected with those team members; our relationship is sustained by the magic of that special moment. Furthermore, their idea worked. They legally reestablished flow of repair parts to the hospitals.
Many consultants may never see their work's impact. I know for certain that my contribution helped save lives. I also got to feel spirits be revitalized by hope. This deepened me; the shape of my heart changed forever.
We, the People, vs COVID
Where: Zug, Switzerland
When: July, 2021-2022
Context: Fighting the pandemic, the world wanted to know 'How many anti-bodies are enough?'
Mission: How can we identify a threshold of antibodies to inform people's risk-level and booster decisions?
In 2021, the world was going through a dark time. The fear induced by the pandemic gripped us, and lockdowns were depriving us of freedom. The vaccine seemingly delivered the miracle many were awaiting. But then came the next question: 'If I am vaccinated or recovered, how protected am I? How many anti-bodies are enough?' Now every biotech company on earth was racing to answer that question.
I was approached by the Chief Medical Director for Infectious Diseases of an industry leading diagnostics company. As one of their top experts on Covid, he was assembling a team to answer the protective threshold question. I had worked with him in the past, and we had (still have) a strong relationship. He asked me to coach and support this critical project team..
I was astonished. Here was one of the world's most prestigious biotech companies with every resource available to them, pulling together a team of experts to solve the most important question on earth, and they hand-selected me to be the team's coach.
There aren't many greater honors I can think of. I called my dad to share the news and he broke down in tears. It was a privilege to work alongside such distinguished people in pursuit of the most meaningful solution (at the time). This adventure shall forever reside in my 'trophy case' of exceptional life experiences.
Play to Win
Where: Zug, Switzerland
When: April, 2023
Context: In the midsts of a large-scale transformation, the executive mindset & skillset needed to evolve.
Mission: How can we deliver a life-changing experience which will develop participants' capabilities, and update their psychology?
Since 2020 we've been supporting the market-leading diagnostics company orchestrate a massive internal transformation. As they entered a new era of their organization, they asked us to design a cutting-edge leadership development program to equip their top people with the mindsets and capabilities necessary to drive the organization into the future.
With this exciting mandate, my team and I pioneered an approach blending deep psychological evolution with concrete skills practice. Here I was able to 'play'. I could combine my passions in psychology, spirituality, and experience in business leadership development to create a life-changing experience for people. How exciting! It was fun to facilitate, and participant feedback was outstanding. We made a difference, and I am grateful to have been able to contribute.
It was this experience, in fact, which cemented my enthusiasm for starting Level Up. Such experiences are powerful, and this shouldn't be reserved only for top executives. How can we democratize deep human development? It is in service of this task that I dedicate my efforts.
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