Testimonials

“Anette Prehn is a powerful, challenging and world-class trainer and a sublime expert within the field of NeuroLeadership.”

Trine Brahm, Head of People Development, Novozymes

“Anette Prehn is the Danish Stephen Covey.”

Michael Toft, afdelingsleder, Jyske Bank

“Anette Prehn delivered an outstanding performance at Grakom’s yearly conference with 300 leaders within the communication industry. Anette was the best speaker of the day. She contributed with brand new and useful knowledge to the participants. At the same time, Anette is both entertaining, energetic and charming. The participants evaluated the speakers, and Anette got these comments: “Super speech – and different knowledge that creates deeper understanding”, “She was just the star! Wow it was exciting”, ” This speech should have been much longer”,” Very energetic person! Wonderful”. It cannot be said any better. I give Anette Prehn my best recommendations to others, who need energy, joy and new tools to understand the brain’s mechanisms.”

Thomas Torp, CEO, Grakom

“Our Young Significant Talent Group enjoyed a fantastic day with Anette Prehn where we were introduced to the exciting field of Applied Neuroscience and how to lead with the brain in mind. Working in an industry and an organisation in constant change requires agile thinking. And knowing the key brain rules is a prerequisite to being able to “play your brain” in ever-changing environments and roles. I have had the pleasure of attending an Anette Prehn seminar before – and every time she leaves a big impression. I’ve taken part in lots of other seminars and watched numerous TED talks in my life, but never before come across an active stage presence like hers. Anette Prehn has a gift for being both highly professional, knowledgeable and relevant to business whilst almost cartwheeling on stage with her bubbly and dynamic personality. My warmest recommendations!”

Tore Falkenberg, Head of Trade Finance Customer Service, Nordea

“Anette Prehn has a brilliant way of helping leaders understand how brains are working – and own insights about what things may look like from the employees’ points of view.”

Frank Skovsted, Vice President, Vestas Deutschland

“In my quite mature life I haven’t before experienced a trainer and a person like Anette Prehn before. It all comes together and Anette Prehn is in a class of her own! Each and every minute is filled with competence and good energy and relevant to everyone working in the field of leadership.”

Susanne Poulsen, Head of Department, Region Nordjylland

“Anette Prehn is a brilliant motivational speaker who connects 100% with her audience. Her ideas and theories are original and thought-provoking. She combines core business thinking with state of art neuroscience – joint together by her bubbly humour. If you get the chance do not miss this experience!”

Thorbjoern B. Hededal, Head of Department, Danske Bank

“When I first read all the appraisals of Anette Prehn’s training, I thought to myself: ‘That can’t be true.’ But it is!”

Merete Stenum, Head of Department, Odense University Hospital

“Anette Prehn manages to excite, even though the material is hardcore. When Anette lectures on how learning takes place, she herself uses methods that support learning. It is theory and practice combined at the same time, which provides double learning.”

Grethe Risum Krog, Bioanalyst lecturer, Department of Clinical Immunology, Blood Bank, Rigshospitalet

“I had the great privilege to meet Anette in a full-day workshop for Bosch in Stockholm and listening to her when she spoke about Brain Smart Leadership! One of the most interesting lectures I have attended. Anette is giving you very important tools to use in your interaction with other people as a leader and for your own personal development!”

 

Anders Garnell, Division and Sales Manager, Bosch Rexroth

“An inspirational firework! Anette has been a keynote speaker at our conference “The Digital Export Company” on December 13th, 2023 at AI Innovation House in Vejle. Anette’s presentation focused on a roadmap for successfully navigating and embracing change, e.g. when digitalizing. She’s an expert in turning cutting-edge insights of neuroscience into down-to-earth tools for change management. It was a true pleasure to witness her charisma and enthusiasm, humor and ability to communicate complicated knowledge in a fantastically tangible manner. I can only recommend her warmly as a speaker at any type of event.”

Sebastian Schwarz, Head of Danish Export Association

“I wish I could buy a jar of Anette Prehn’s amazing energy!”

Annie Lorentzen, Head of Branch, Jyske Bank

“When I returned from my course with Anette Prehn, I was on a high and ready for so much more learning. Anette is so relevant, so engaged, so energetic, so captivating and so competent. After the course, I have sharpened my ability to ‘tramp new paths’ in relation to well-known problems that keep reappearing in daily life. The evidence-based approach is definitely the right one for me.”

 

Karin Christiansen, Leading Medical Secretary, Glostrup Hospital

“Anette Prehn is a highly experienced and reliable speaker. She communicates neuroscience in a way that makes it both relevant and concrete for leaders – with lots of illustrative examples, a varied training style and brain-friendly principles and exercises. We had Anette do a tour where she gave the same inspirational workshop in four different locations across the country – and every time she delivered with the same commitment and vitality. All the participants got access to Anette’s tailor-made e-learning videos plus a copy of ‘Play Your Brain’ so that they may revisit and enhance their learning from the workshops. In my eyes, neuroscience gives a most valuable input as to how we may execute leadership so that the employees deliver at their best.”

Mette Marie Langenge, Leadership Consultant, HK Kommunal

“I’ve worked with Anette Prehn since 2009 and I find her to be a most engaging and motivating science-based trainer and coach. I’ve attended five of her courses and had three rounds of coaching with Anette so far. So why do I keep coming back? I’d say that Anette plays a phone-a-friend role in my life as a leader – and that she’s enabled several big breakthroughs in my thinking. Our collaboration has helped me feel calm and composed under pressure and has given me tools to be on top of situations. It has also made me realise the importance of my own pre-understanding and framings and how they can actively hinder – as well as boost – the development of my employees, myself and our common tasks. My very best recommendation!”

Marlene Karmark Andersen, Head of HR, Odense Municipality

“Anette Prehn is a generous and attentive speaker with a formidable ability to make difficult things easy to comprehend. She translates neuroscience into useful tools. Her speaking style – oscillating between presentations and audience participation – is simply excellent and she manages to create a sense of togetherness in the room, which boosts learning. A most interesting day which has led to a lot of reflection and different behaviours in my leadership. Especially in relation to how people react and how a leader influences – and can get to understand – the employees.”

Olav Keblovszki, Senior Executive Advisor, Port of Aarhus

“We invited Anette Prehn to be a keynote speaker at our annual internal learning conference for our 350+ global learning professionals. In putting together the agenda, the attendees said they wanted to learn more about how the brain works so they could design and develop learning programs consistent with those principles and also use them for more productive discussions with their business stakeholders in discussing specific performance challenges. From the beginning of our planning, Anette listened carefully to the needs of our organization, including our culture and experience and tailored an interactive, practical, and engaging keynote presentation that met our specific needs. Anette was the kickoff keynote presenter and set the tone for a highly engaging, inspiring, and very productive three-day conference. Anette greatly simplified a complex topic through the use of analogies, practical examples, and humor. She was a rock star! Without exception, all attendees raved about her presentation because it was so relevant to their work and they could immediately relate to it and apply what they learned. Anette has a very comfortable style, which puts an audience at ease and in a comfortable position to learn and take in information. Attendees continued to reference and apply what they learned in her presentation during and after the conference ended. We loved her and will use her again.” 

Linda Baumeister, Global Head of Instructional Design, Ericsson

“Over three workshops in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Aarhus, Anette Prehn took Arkitema Architects on a rich journey to the brain. Not only were the workshops highly relevant in relation to the learning environments, we design for our clients. They also inspired the social interaction in our drawing offices as well as our physical environments. I hadn’t dreamed of getting such big value from the workshops. Anette is a scoop!”

Eva Friis, Head of Communication, Arkitema Architects

“Anette Prehn delivered a Kinder Egg to us. Our full-day seminar with her on was enrichening at three levels and included surprises:

• facilitationwise – with lots of inspiration and tips & tricks for our facilitators’ own workshops and processes,
• contentwise – where Anette’s knowledge strengthened us in improving the content of our own courses,
• at a personal level – as the exercises made the participants ‘tramp new paths in the brain’ and reflect relevantly.
  A very inspiring day in good company!”

Jens Kristian Jørgensen, Head of Leadership Development and Productivity, The Confederation of Danish Industry

“Anette held a session on our internal Trainer Conference in Siemens Wind Power. She was talking to approx. 100 trainers for 3 hours and it was absolutely professional. She was capable of keeping people engaged and motivated throughout the entire session and she opened up discussions and gave new and very useful insights to our trainers in the topic of BrainSmart Learning.
Feedback from participants included:
– ‘Very strong presenter, very interesting topic.’
– ‘Fantastic, informative, useful.’
– ‘Anette Prehn’s session was very inspiring – food for thoughts on how to create even better trainings.’
– ‘I don’t know where to start… Anette Prehn is cool!’”

Katalin Racz-Monostori, Event manager, Siemens Wind Power

 “It’s not too often one attends a seminar, and can see the benefits immediately – Anette provided exactly that environment for us to play with our communication styles, and make us understand the brain action behind our reasoning and how we portray ourselves and see others. I would definitely take the opportunity to work with and attend Anette’s courses again.” 

Bobby Kaura, Strategy Manager/Chief of Staff to the CFO/CIO Office, Roche

“Anette Prehn gave a super speech about Brain-Based Learning and what can hinder or further it. Her communication of knowledge from applied neuroscience was elegantly put into teaching practice so that the participants gained aha’s about their own role and how to do things differently. Anette’s speech gained much praise from the participants.”

Jane Fyhn, Professional Manager, The Confederation of Danish Bioanalytics

“100 upper secondary teachers could smile, sing, nod and give “thumbs up” to an utterly interactive and most useful 90 minutes’ speech by Anette Prehn about BrainSmart learning. Anette unfolded the opportunities and limitations of the brain when it comes to learning – and gave us some very user-friendly tips and tricks as to how to optimise learning in teenagers. The interactivity and Anette’s spirited and empathetic manner caught hold of the attention instantly – and her speech was well-structured and tailored to the audience sublimely.”

 

Mia Winther, Consultant (pedagogy) and Associate Professor, Aalborg Business College

“Anette Prehn is impossible to miss when she is on stage. She is brilliant in leading her audience and diversifying public speaking methods that charms audience and facilitates active listening. Also, I consider Anette’s book “Play your brain” to be the missing ingredient in the conventional business world.”

Skirmantas Letukas, IT Advisor, Siemens Wind Power

“Anette Prehn has devised and delivered a series of four successful Brain Based Skills workshops to 130 Grade 11 students at the International School of Basel. Utilizing her presentational competence, her passion for the subject and her magnetic energy Anette quickly captured the students’ attention and imagination enabling her to develop a meaningful rapport with her audience.
Through learning how to harness the power of their brains and how to utilize that power to enhance their academic and personal successes the students have been introduced to a tool kit, which will aid them not only in their high school careers but also in their long-term life careers. Anette’s workshops have been a welcome addition to the students’ curriculum and we thank Anette for her invaluable input into these young adults’ lives.” 

Sarah Cassell, Guidance Coordinator, International School of Basel

“We had a really good day together with Anette Prehn – with merely positive feedback from the employees afterwards. The workshop ‘STAY OPTIMISTIC DURING CHANGE’ was very useful – both professionally and personally. It kickstarted lots of thoughts regarding how to frame changes and how we may help each other and ourselves. Anette described human behavioural patterns in ways that we could all recognise. She humanised and added many nuances to what is normally perceived as ‘resistance to change’. And she clearly communicated how you can turn your brain into an ally during change … first and foremost for one’s own sake, because it otherwise becomes way to hard to be and work in a changable environment. Anette was very engaging and motivating, and everybody – both bioanalytics, moleculary biologists, medical doctors, secretaries etc. – were completely taken by it!”

 

Lotte Krogh, Chief Physician, Clinical Genetical Department, Odense University Hospital

“I have been working in Danish military as a leader and trainer for 30 years, and I have seen a lot of soldiers coping or trying to cope with extreme situations. Anette Prehns BRAINSMART concept offers a unique and clear understanding of why people cope with strong emotional experiences so differently, and how we may give them a better chance of staying mentally healthy and fit under extraordinary pressure. Beyond any doubt, soldiers will be (brain)smarter, stronger, cleverer and healthier by mastering the rules of the brain. Anette Prehn is a powerhouse and continues to turn complex neuroscience into easy-to-apply principles and tools that can be learnt and used. I am eager for these to reach our soldiers … they really deserve it! On top of this, Anette Prehn is a fantastic communicator, in her books as well as while presenting. She has a stage presence second to none, a playful approach to learning and life and she vividly engages everyone in a room. My warmest recommendations!”

Warrant Officer H.F. Bech, Royal Danish Air Force

“Anette Prehn has indeed done her job and explained neuroscience in ways that even I can understand: in a simple language and with useful tools. To me, it is essential to know which ‘mechanisms’, that activate in the brain during situational pressure. This makes it easier to understand what is going on – and helps you avoid being dragged down by the situation. Anette helped us with this in the workshop ‘HOW TO TURN WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE INTO A GOOD HABIT’. I am so glad that I Googled ‘change’ and ‘condition’ back then!”

Preben Huus, Deputy Head, The Danish Union of Teachers (Fjordkredsen)

“Anette Prehn is as illuminating as her books!” 

David Shutts, Vice President, Inchcape Shipping Services

“Why do we keep asking Anette Prehn to deliver workshops for us at Momentum Academy? Because she brings home customer satisfaction scores of 9.86 out of 10. Anette’s work in applied neuroscience is unique, and so is her ability to communicate. Furthermore, it is always a big pleasure collaborating with Anette. Her personality is contagious and she is capable of lifting the spirit of a group to a whole new level. I give Anette Prehn my warmest recommendations.” 

Philip Fausing, programdirektør, Momentum Academy:

“The same trainer from 9 to 5 for 15 days! And yet, I have first looked at my watch when Anette has called the day off. To be able to capture hearts and minds in this way is a performance that speaks for itself. I have left every module in a highly resourceful state, understanding more of my employees’ (and my own) behavioural patterns and how valuable it is to know about values in order to be able to motivate and boost results.”

Steen H. Christensen, Head of Finance, Herlufsholm School & Estate

“All change is challenging, we know that. Even though we are facing changes in our professional life more often today than before it is still a big challenge that some people are unable to cope with changes. So what if there were a way to prepare for a coming change? A way that could help raise the spirit of the employees and minimise the risk of good employees leaving the company? Those were some of the thoughts I went through when I initially decided to buy Anette Prehn’s books “Brain Smart Leadership” and “Play Your Brain” to all the members of my department at Grundfos as preparation for a major organisation change. In a former position, I had drawn upon Anette Prehn’s work with great success. This time we all read the books and held meetings where we discussed our perception of what we had read and how to apply it. A couple of weeks before the final details of the major organizational change were announced, we had a very captivating virtual lecture with Anette Prehn focusing on the brain’s reactions to change. It is of course always difficult to evaluate the exact effects of such interventions. However, I have to say that I am impressed with how well my employees have been able to cope with the change afterwards … the largest change ever in the history of Grundfos.” 

Per Kjertan Thamsen, Capability Manager for Electronics in Industry, Grundfos

“The most exemplary trainer I have worked with for 40 years. This is my 5th course with Anette. She walks her talk!”

Susanne Bloch-Jespersen, Head of Department, Hillerød Kommune

“It is simply fantastic to experience something this concrete and easy to apply. Oftentimes, when we’ve attended speeches about complex themes like the brain, it has taken ages to talk about what we heard, how we understood it and in which ways we could make use of it in our daily work with the children. Thus, the good knowledge has stranded because it has been too difficult and complicated to translate into a common language that everybody could take ownership of. With Anette Prehn’s approach, it is different. She translates technical terms to applicable knowledge and tools that are easy for us to build on top of and make our own. THANK YOU SO MUCH for a very engaging and valuable speech!”

Linda Garsdal Fredensborg, Head of Midtbyens Boernehus nursery and preschool, Kolding Kommune

“50 happy employees from Stolpedalsskolen were still smiling the day after our all-day workshop with Anette Prehn. The theme was Brainsmart Pedagogy. An employee put it like this: ‘It gave me insight into the physiological workings of the brain, practical suggestions re how to use it in the classroom, plus tools I can make use of personally in a busy everyday life where I am in contact with many children, parents, and colleagues.’ The planning of the day was exemplary: Based on a short, written introduction from us and a half-hour conversation over the phone, Anette put together a perfect structure tailor-made to our needs. An extraordinary day with a relevant and evidence-based content!”

Kaj Søndergaard Nielsen, Deputy Head, Stolpedalsskolen, Aalborg

“After a conflict in school we have often wished that we had tackled it in a more constructive and forward-looking way. Thus, we invited Anette Prehn to give a speech to all members of staff across three primary schools. In her own energetic and present way, Anette managed to involve the participants and keep them focused and engaged for a three-hour workshop between 3 and 6 pm. Her effervescent and lively performance was combined with metaphors and examples most relevant in relation to both work life and personal life. Complicated neuroscience came ‘down to earth’ and gave us powerful tools that we can easily use on a daily basis. We tramped new paths, learned how to tackle the amygdala via externalisation and practiced activating the prefrontal cortex by reframing difficult episodes. All the participants expressed great acknowledgment of Anette Prehn’s way of guiding us through the demystification of the plastic brain and its workings. We have obtained a common language that supplements and supports our pedagogy and makes us better at handling social interaction. I only wish that we had invited the parents too!”

Arne Doerup Jensen, Principal, Loekken School

“I tend to get headaches whilst taking courses. But after each and every course day with Anette Prehn I have felt brightened up and fit as a fiddle. She communicates in a bubbly, fun manner, is at eye-level with the participants and shares many good examples.”

Sandra Lundahl, Nursery Nurse, Fredensborg Municipality

“After having heard Anette Prehn’s speech, I doubt that the brain runs on 25 watts only. It was simply superb – and the participants were thrilled. Anette’s energy and ability to reach a big group of people (110) is very special. You feel that Anette speaks to YOU – even though you are a part of a big group – and her many anecdotes from everyday life and work brings recognisability, professionalism, laughter and presence to the room. Anette thoroughly strengthened and inspired us – thanks for that!”

Michael Andersen, Head (Pedagogy), Gentofte Municipality

“I recently finished reading one of the best books I have ever read on parenting skills. It’s the third book I have read by Anette Prehn who is a genius at communicating applied neuroscience to anyone from CEO’s to 5 year old kindergarten kids.” 

Olu Robbin-Coker, Organisational Psychologist (MA)

”I feel vaccinated against bullheadedness.”

Morten Kragh-Sørensen, Agree Consulting, negotiation expert 

“After completing the Framestorm course, I’ve felt as though I’ve embarked on a journey akin to winter bathing. My senses and cells have awakened from slumber, and I can now perceive opportunities where I was once trapped in habitual thinking and ensnared by negative spirals.”

Ane Irene Randleff, HR consultant

“The Framestorm method is a powerful example of playful intelligence.“

Anthony DeBenedet, medical doctor and author of the book “Playful Intelligence” 

“In May 2022 we had an introduction to Brain Smart Leadership facilitated by Anette Prehn – and what an introduction! I can see from the evaluations of this session that she has blown us away – and I understand why. The stuff she explains is highly relevant and even though it’s complex to explain she does it in an extremely “down to earth” way so all can follow – and she knows just how to make it interesting and get the participants to be both active and involved.

As the first session with Anette Prehn was such a big success my team asked for “more” and we decided to continue learning more about how we as individual could become more resourceful by being introduced to Anette’s Framestorm methodology. We continued the competence development in April 2023 where we first had an introduction to reframing and how to expand this into the Framestorm methodology and then it was our turn to start using it!! We delivered our Framestorms to Anette and got her professional feedback on our usage of the methodology – a great way to learn! We finalized the competence development with a follow-up day in October 2023, where Anette focused on what she had seen we were struggling with doing and by this we got the methodology even more under our skin. Again, a super great learning on how to expand your thinking and by this we have become more resourceful as individuals and as a team.

She is one of the best I have ever experienced to make you reflect and wonder. I sincerely hope that my team and I are capable to utilize the learnings going forward – and I’m pretty sure we will.”

 

Carsten Clausen, Senior Manager, PMO and Project Execution, Grundfos

“Some truly great days for our members. Anette Prehn’s work in fostering understanding of others and of what happens around us is so important – and she has achieved this to a five-star standard. Anette excels at conveying complex ideas in a very special way, making them accessible and truly motivating for great benefits – both at work and at home. Course participants wrote in their evaluations, among other things: “Probably the best course I have attended with benefits that can be applied at work and personally” and “It is one of the best courses I have long attended. And it was excellent that it was spread out over several days, keeping you engaged. I think many could greatly benefit from this course.“

Briddi Escherich, consultant and course organizer, Finance Union 

“It has been absolutely fantastic and a complete life transformation for me to attend the Framestorm course.

Lisbeth Bender, executive business coach

“It is vital to learn to Framestorm. It’s as simple as that.”

Thomas Vigild, teacher and game designer

“A wonderful book for leaders looking to boost their authority. Anette Prehn has a gift for provoking leaders’ thought patterns and habits. She writes brilliantly, making complex facts about the brain fun, accessible and applicable. World class!”

Trine Brahm, Head of Leadership & Talent, Novozymes

“This is a book you can read over and over again, and find new value every time! BrainSmart Leadership has vastly improved my ability to create the space of mutual understanding and respect required to discuss contentious topics and find good solutions. Anette Prehn explains the logic behind practising “soft skills” – quite simply making life easier for technical managers like me. At first, I thought the book would just inspire my leadership approach, but it also gives plenty of food for thought about my personal approach to life. Unique science-based communication that hits the mark!”

Allan Nyland Christensen, Director Corporate IT Portfolio Management, LEGO

“When you’re working on the frontline, you have to understand what’s going on under your colleague’s helmet and your own. What sets off the brain’s threat response, the amygdala? And when? And how do we get it under control so we can carry on working confidently and creatively? BrainSmart Leadership has been crucial in improving our unit’s internal communication. We use it in practice when preparing for assignments, exams and tactical missions. In one quite specific situation, our insight into the rules of the brain saved us six months’ work. I simply can’t put it any more plainly – this book is an excellent investment.”

Warrant Officer J.T. Ravn, day-to-day head of the “bomb dog platoon”, Helicopter Wing, Squadron 660, Royal Danish Air Force

“BrainSmart Leadership is an amazing toolbox for tackling the changes currently spreading through the financial sector. As a leader, I find Anette Prehn’s simple, visual approach to difficult topics highly inspiring. Her books create Aha! moments and make it easy to put this new knowledge into everyday practice.”

Vibeke Bak Solok, Executive Vice President, Group Risk Management, Danske Bank

“Many thanks for all the inspiration that reading the wonderful book BrainSmart Leadership has given me. I’ve written down more than 130 reflections (potential new pathways). I’ve also bought copies for my entire leadership team, and every week we discuss what they are getting out of it. One team member read it in less than a week, and loves it as much as I do (although that’s hard to believe).”

Anders Skaaning-Höglund, Bakery Manager, Lantmännen Unibake

“A journey of discovery inside the brain for leaders – guaranteed to strike gold. A book you will return to over and over again and that will change your view of leadership, motivation and interaction. In my life and leadership career, there’s an era “before” Anette Prehn and one “after’!”

Alan Larsen, principal, Brejninggaard continuation school

“Learning about the rules of the brain is by far the best investment I’ve ever made. I found it particularly interesting to learn about the brain’s threat response, the importance of values in human interactions and the ability to reinterpret situations and thus make them easier to understand. Anette Prehn has an amazing ability to make difficult subjects easy to apply in practice!”

Marlene Karmark, Head of Department, City of Odense

“In this book, Anette Prehn applies the brain’s logics to modern leadership in a way that is insightful, easy to understand and eminently relevant. The points she presents about what happens in the brain when we interact with each other in organisations are new to me and have far-reaching consequences for the way we think about how we should lead ourselves and others. This book has given me significant new focus points and inspiration for more effective ways of leading change processes. Thank you!”

Rasmus Sielemann Christensen, CEO, Bornholms Energi & Forsyning

“As a leader, you read loads of leadership theories that you later have to spend time converting and adapting to your own reality. With BrainSmart Leadership, you get a book that helps you easily apply what you’ve read. It invites you to stop to reflect and implement some of the many great tips for making the brain your partner – instead of reading it at one sitting, from start to finish. I’ve found Anette Prehn’s books enormously useful for my leadership work and can warmly recommend this one as an alternative leadership book.”

Vibeke Verwohlt, Head, Stolpedal school

“A super book, written in down-to-earth language. Plenty of great exercises that are easy to use in everyday life. I warmly recommend it to everyone – you don’t need a management title or responsibility to benefit from this book. Looking forward to reading more titles by Anette Prehn.”

Mik Steenfeldt, branch manager, Sparekassen Kronjylland

“Once again, Anette Prehn offers unique insight into how we, as leaders, can help our teams and ourselves to tackle change and challenges. Wonderful metaphors, easy to use – and valuable reading for employees at all organisational levels.”

Michael S. Kehlet, VP Talent, LEGO Group

“At a time when the production of organisational management and psychology literature has sky-rocketed – much of it neither well-written nor contributing anything new or significant – I would like to offer some pointers for those interested in this topic. If you are a leader or consultant, or merely curious about how you can communicate smartly with the brains around you and give them – and our own brain – the best possible working conditions, I warmly recommend that you read BrainSmart Leadership. Reading this book has given me great inspiration, and I draw extensively on the BrainSmart approach in my work with the psychological work environment and leadership and organisational development. In a class apart, Anette Prehn effortlessly and engagingly communicates the fastest way, by far, to understand and incorporate neuro-scientific perspectives into one’s own practice, conduct and reflections.”

Rasmus Gorell Mackenhauer, organisational psychologist and consultant, Danish Ministry of Defence Personnel Agency, Centre for the Working Environment

“You rarely benefit and learn so much from reading a single book.”

Tonny Nielsen, Regional Manager, Rema 1000

“Which book should you read if you want to improve your negotiation skills? Anette Prehn has written a fantastic book called BrainSmart Leadership, and in my world its title could just as well have been BrainSmart Negotiation because both leadership and negotiation are about the ability to move and influence other people, and how other people influence us.”

Morten Kragh-Sørensen, Lecturer, Niels Brock International Business College

“I was introduced to Anette Prehn’s book BrainSmart Leadership in 2017 while studying for my MBA. This research-based leadership approach has enabled me to tackle even major change processes with a calm amygdala and BrainSmart mindset that helps me to communicate purposefully and minimise “future fog”. The techniques I’ve learnt from the BrainSmart Leadership universe enable me to quickly see challenges from different viewpoints, unleashing positive energy in my daily leadership activities and allowing me to “share” this energy – which in turn builds support within the organisation. Recommended for everyone!”

Major Henrik Gehrt, Head of the National Supplies & Logistics Section, Danish Defence

“To those that say management is just common sense, I’d say isn’t it a pity that it’s not more common then. But perhaps it will be if today’s business frontrunners get a copy of Anette Prehn’s new book BrainSmart Leadership. Unlike some of the stuff that emerges from academic research, this is a useful and practical digest of all the latest thinking on the neuroscience of leadership. Its pages offer a combination of clever insight and original, workable tools to use on today’s tricky strategic problems. It’s all presented with Prehn’s infectious brio, which shows how we can leverage the competitive advantage of the neuroplastic brain!”

Paul Christopher Walton, Brand Historian, Futurist and Founder, The Value Engineers

“A pioneer work in the emerging field of applied neuroscience, Play Your Brain likens the brain to a jazz band — in its capacity to improvise and make new connections. The authors show how to maximise its enormous potential, through immensely thoughtful, practical and brain-based suggestions. Highly recommended!”

Paul T. Brown, Visiting Professor in Organisational Neuroscience, London South Bank University

“Anette Prehn’s book, Play Your Brain has created a breakthrough in my life. The living proof is nothing but my own life! Upon reading this book for the first time (yes I’ve read it many times), I managed to experience a sudden change in my perspective. I felt that I was totally in charge of my life and this is still the case today. I now know that I have everything at my disposal to be unleashed: Thoughts, Values, Body, Perception, Vision, Emotion, Goals and Successes! By understanding all of these “keys” of the brain, I understand that I have a lot of resources at disposal within me. An amazing discovery indeed! This has stimulated a high level of cognitive flexibility and ability to achieve the best outcome in any situation. On a personal level, I have experienced multiple promotions in my job career since reading Play Your Brain. I have also been rated as a high performer by my superiors and colleagues. I have developed great interpersonal skills, boosted my ability to build rapport with my business counterparts, been able to generate strategic insights where required and improved my family values. And the list can go on and on. This book can change people’s lives around 180 degrees, like it happened to me. The way Anette Prehn explains everything in the book is very personal and relatable. She invites the reader to be the co-writer so that the impact of each explanation can be felt and appreciated. Thank you so much Anette! I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have found your book. Please continue your excellent work. I admire you for your insights!”

Izuddin Salleh, Network Delivery – Retail Business, PETRONAS, Malaysia

“I highly recommend Anette Prehn´s work to anyone who is willing to take change seriously with a sense of humour. I came across her book “Play Your Brain” back in 2013 and I was really amazed by the depth and sophisticated simplicity of the book. Frankly speaking, it offers valuable insights into how you can make your brain work for your goals and how you can challenge old beliefs in order to step out of your current frame. Framing and reframing is not only good for re-inventing your core business. It can also help you understand how personal transformation really works. With the help of this book and Anette’s free online course at UDEMY.COM, I have managed to overcome a severe crisis and set sail for new coasts and endeavors.”

Frank Koepcke, Managing Partner, ISG Personalmanagement Deutschland

“This book humanises science, by exploring how things work in relation to how we work. The brain as jazz band is a delightful analogy — a collection of cells that plays and improvises in harmony.”

Stephen Hough, classical pianist, composer & writer

“Play Your Brain makes clear how everyone can gain from approaching life and goals in musical ways. The inspirational potential of this book is immense.” 

Morten Zeuthen, Professor, Royal Danish Academy of Music

“Play Your Brain will help readers succeed in both life and career.”

Yi-Yuan Tang, Professor of Neuroinformatics, Dalian University of Technology

“Play Your Brain is like a wise friend offering tools for acting in useful ways and staying on top of situations.”

Lisbet Thyge Frandsen, Group Senior Vice President, Grundfos Management

“Play Your Brain offers refreshing, new insight into how we can all grow and adapt, breaking the habits that hold us back.”

Paul Satti, Managing Director, Novozymes Malaysia

“A masterpiece, and tight to the core, Play Your Brain is essential reading for all leaders and managers who want to orchestrate their employees and organisations to become highly self-regulated. One of those books you must have!”

Tobias Kiefer, Head of Global Learning & Development, Booz & Company

“How do you acquire the readiness to change that is so sought after in today’s business environment — but also so hard to achieve without the nearly insurmountable effort and cost of ‘change programmes’ and course activity? Play Your Brain shows you how. If playing certain ‘keys’ does not deliver — change! If you feel stuck on a key — change! If your ‘melody’ goes out of tune — change! Thus readiness to change and a flexible mindset become a natural part of your approach to life and business. An engaging and very approachable book for any layer of an organisation.”

Henriette Kistrup, Supply Chain Director, Carlsberg UK

“Two very strong authors and an immensely important challenge: How may I understand myself better and become more skilled in reaching my goals? Anette Prehn and Kjeld Fredens have written a very inspiring and useful book that will turn your brain into an ally.”

Steen Hildebrandt, Professor of Management Studies, Aarhus University

“Play Your Brain convincingly demonstrates how to strengthen your results by adopting a musical mindset. A must-buy for anyone working in ever-changing environments, and aiming to deliver out-of-the-box performance.”

Alex Myers, President & CEO, ArjoHuntleigh

“Anette Prehn was the main force behind the report ‘The Nordic Region as a Global Winner Region’ that was awarded the title ‘Yearbook 2005’ by The Nordic Council of Ministers. The report set a powerful agenda for the Nordic governments’ approach to the global economy. It identified shared Nordic values, representing particular competitive advantages within leadership and business. Anette Prehn engineered the analysis, interviewed a long row of experts and executives within business, economics, culture and politics, drew out the essence of the collective knowledge and framed the conclusions. ‘The Value Web’ was Anette Prehn’s stroke of genius. Anette Prehn has a remarkable creative-analytical talent and is skilled in identifying patterns and connections across themes and disciplines. She is equally adept in communicating new insights and knowledge in a way that is easy to understand, accessible and very useful. Anette Prehn is a highly reliable individual you can trust to get the outstanding job done.”

Mikael Lindholm, Directing Editor, Monday Morning