Make Money Like a Fortune 500 CEO | Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld

Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld – the only person to serve as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies on different continents (Alcoa in the US, Siemens in Germany), global advisor, founder of K2 Elevation, angel investor, and author of Leading to Thrive.

• First Dollars & Early Hustle:

  • At 12, worked illegally at a supermarket in Germany, later launched a Santa Claus business delivering gifts (and family messages!) on Christmas Eve.

  • Early work taught the value of money, the realities of management at all levels, and why people must create and be paid for value.

• Mindset Developed by Adversity:

  • Father died at age 10, grew up with a strong sense of self-reliance and urgency to earn.

  • Immigrant family background; learned that “money is freedom” and that every dollar earned created options.

  • Time spent with East German relatives instilled the lesson that money only matters if it can actually buy value.

• Spiritual & Emotional Energy:

  • Foundation in faith (Protestant roots) was a crucial “anchor” through hard times and later in life.

  • Dr. Kleinfeld’s new book, Leading to Thrive, stresses the four types of energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

  • Advocates for not shying away from love, gratitude, and faith even in the corporate world—even if those topics are often taboo at the boardroom level.

• Career Guidance & Advancement:

  • Career wasn’t about status, but about maximizing freedom and value creation.

  • The path to more money: “Money comes in exchange for creating value—become indispensable and you’ll gain negotiating power.”

  • Focus less on salary and more on skill acquisition; become a self-starter and continually improve.

  • Key mantra: “Love it, change it, or leave it.” Life is too short to waste in situations without progress or fulfillment.

• Overcoming Fear and Stagnation:

  • Don’t let fear (False Expectations Appearing Real) keep you “stuck”—analyze the true risks, and realize that most bad outcomes never materialize.

  • Lessons from high performers: It’s about energy management (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual), not mere time management.

  • Embrace continuous experimentation and agile adjustments—failure is just feedback and learning (Edison paradigm: every failed attempt is progress).

• Legacy and Regret:

  • Biggest regrets from those at the end of life: not being truer to themselves and not choosing happiness sooner.

  • See happiness as a daily, conscious choice, not something to seek only at the end.

Dr. Kleinfeld’s Actionable Advice:

1. Focus on increasing your value to others—money follows value.

2. Regularly reassess: “Love it, change it, or leave it.”

3. Invest in managing your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy.

4. Don’t let fear dictate your story—break it down and act despite uncertainty.

5. Read and learn from others (“Books condense a lifetime into a few hours—take the shortcut!”).

Connect with Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld:

• https://www.leading-to-thrive.com/

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