When and why did you begin writing?

It is a secret, but I have been writing since I was a kid. I loved reading, and read most classics before I went to high school. As a youth, I started to write short stories and poetry. Poetry turned into songwriting (I even published a CD with a band, back in 1994). At that time, I would read my poetry at bars and small events, and people would laugh and enjoy. As I became a professional, I used my writing skills to write copy - marketing and sales, and also technical documentation and white papers. Over the years, a need to write something more, something else, evolved, and I turned some of my writing into blogging. Today, I maintain two blogs.

Describe your book ‘The Leader's Workbook’ in 30 words or less.

The Leaders Workbook inspires leaders around the world to reflect upon their leadership and their role as a leader.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Many! I read a lot, I have always done so. I started reading at age of four (not that I remember), and according to my parents, my preferred book back then was the Laws of Norway. Since I still live in this country, that very book still influences my life very much!

Books that have impacted my life include:

Stephen Denning, Squirrel Inc., a short fable about storytelling as a leadership tool.
Dr. Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Tom Rath, Strength Finder 2.0

Some fiction books that impacted me:

Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts, a fantastic story!
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, by Jules Verne. This book made me realize that dreaming of the extraordinary is a great thing!
And many more.

Do you see writing as a career?

Writing is indeed a part of my career. But not the only thing I do. I tend to get bored if I do only one thing, so I need to do many things in order to live a happy life.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Of course, writing when I have to, without having the slightest of inspiration for one. I also seem to need a certain level of calmness around in order to write. And I am not able to do like many writers - just sit down and start writing whatever. I am the kind of writer that waits until the story just forces itself out, and when that happens, I just need to sit down and start typing.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Travel, speech, do trainings, run triathlons, meet people, eat, enjoy a nice red wine, plan for further success, listen to music, make videos, be with my son, ski, fish, did I mention eating and traveling?

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Yes, I learned that my writing is at a much higher level than I dared to expect. I write in English, which is not my first language. I choose to write in English simply because of the sheer volume of potential readers. And I do not expect my writings to be at the same level as natives. Still, during the editing and proof reading part of my book, there were very few errors present. Which was a bit of a surprise for me?
I also learned that I am able to finish a taunting task like writing a book, and then let it out there for anyone to critique.