Meet Gerhard

Hi, I’m Gerhard

From performance to presence – and the power of personal transformation

For over 25 years, I worked in demanding business environments—leading teams, managing complexity, and delivering results. But over time, I realized: real success isn’t about titles or performance. It’s about alignment, honesty, and how we show up — for ourselves and others.

A serious knee injury in 2021 brought that lesson home. Forced to slow down, I began to ask new questions:

What really matters? Who am I without the doing?

That space led me to what had always been there:
A deep desire to help others grow — not by fixing or pushing, but by listening, creating space, and reconnecting with what’s already within.

Today, I coach leaders and humans who are ready to grow — with clarity, courage, and resilience.

My approach blends business experience, emotional depth, and the ARETE Coaching Framework I’ve developed: a clear path for personal and professional transformation.

I believe leadership begins within. That presence matters more than pressure.

And that the long game of growth starts with one honest moment — and the courage to keep showing up.

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More about me…

Grounded. Experienced. Human.

I live in Cham, southern Germany — a place that helps me stay rooted while thinking big.

For over two decades, I worked in family-owned businesses, learning leadership from the inside out.

Some leaders inspired me. Others showed me what not to do. That contrast made me curious:

How do you lead 10,000 people and still stay human?

Beyond business, I’ve always sought challenge — in sport, coaching, and life. Whether it’s triathlon or teamwork, I keep asking the same question:

How do we grow stronger — together?

Credentials & Qualifications

  • 25+ years in leadership & performance

  • Certified Master Coach (ITD World)

  • ICF ACC (PCC in progress)

  • Bachelor Professional of Business (IHK)

  • PMP® – Project Management Professional

  • Certified football & table tennis coach

  • Leadership Circle 360, DiSC, Feedforward

  • 4× IRONMAN Finisher incl. IRONMAN World Championship 2023

My Journey – From Pushing to Guiding

Instead of providing ready-made answers, I now focus on creating space — for reflection, honesty, and real clarity

I've always wanted to help people grow — as a football captain, a colleague, a friend. For years, I believed helping meant pushing harder. I gave advice, solved problems, offered direction.

Looking back, I see where that came from: a good heart, but too much certainty. I hadn’t yet understood the one thing that changes everything:

Real transformation doesn’t come from outside pressure. It begins with presence — and it starts within.

In 2021, that truth caught up with me.
A serious knee injury brought my pace to zero. No running. No training. No doing.
Suddenly, there was stillness — and in that silence, deeper questions arose:

Who am I without performance? What truly matters? What do I want to give to the world?

What followed was more than physical recovery. It was a reset — and the beginning of something deeply personal:

Coaching. But this time, from within.

In 2023, I wrote my personal Life Purpose Statement:

“I help leaders and humans grow — through honest reflection, resilient mindset, and powerful inner clarity.”

Finding this statement was a real game changer in my life and it changed mostly everything.

I stopped trying to fix. I started listening. I let go of control. I began to trust the process.
And I’ve seen what becomes possible when people feel truly seen — not pressured.

Today, my work is about creating spaces where change feels safe.

Where insight comes from within. And where leadership becomes deeply human again.

Grounded in Family. Strengthened by Challenge.

Where growth begins — in presence, in practice, in relationship.

If there’s one thing that has shaped me more than any training or title, it’s my relationships — and the challenges I’ve walked through with them.

I’ve been with my wife, my best friend and deepest sparring partner, for over 27 years. We’ve built a life, raised two daughters, and navigated seasons of tension, silence, and reconnection.

It hasn’t always been easy. But it’s always been real.
We chose not to give up — and that decision taught me everything about what true growth demands:
Presence. Patience. Honesty. And the courage to stay.

That same mindset carries into my second passion: endurance sport.

IRONMAN taught me what resilience truly feels like.
Strength is more than muscles. It’s the discipline to show up again and again, the clarity to keep moving, the humility to adjust, and the quiet pride of finishing what you started.

Whether in family, sport, or business — it’s the same principle:
Growth comes from staying with the process. Even when it’s hard. Especially then.

That’s what I bring into my coaching:
A grounded presence. A clear mindset. A lived understanding of how real change happens — and what it takes to get there.

Trusted by individuals

from here, and beyond.

Passionate people never stop growing and shedding old layers. They always seek their truest, ultimate form.

Better is not a destination – it’s a mindset.

~Gerhard Diel

Why Work with Me

Corporate Expertise

With 25+ years in global organisations, high-performance companies, and entrepreneurial ventures, I help individuals and professionals make smarter decisions, navigate challenges, and advance with confidence.

IronMindset for change from within

Combining ICF based competencies and IronMindset makes my coaching so unique. I give you strategies from Ironman to lead with clarity and confidence.

Real change from the Inside Out

To achieve sustainable change, the motivation must come from within. We work on new behavioral patterns and habits to bring about real change in your life.

Awareness, Vulnerability and Growth Mindset

Awareness is a first step into right direction, but combined with vulnerability and growth mindset, you will becoming great. With my ARETE Coaching framework we work together on your next level.

Open, Honest and Challenging

My coaching creates space for open and honest conversations – it offers new perspectives, brings light into the darkness and provides the clarity and presence necessary for real and long-term change.

My Approach

Testimonials

  • Exceptionally valuable

    My coaching experience with Gerhard was truly exceptionally valuable. He created a space of trust and clarity, helping me uncover not just solutions but deeper insights into my leadership and personal potential. His thoughtful questions and intuitive guidance enabled lasting change and new perspectives. I walked away empowered, focused, and more in tune with my purpose. Thank you, Gerhard!

    Helmut M. Advisory Board, Cham

  • Game changing

    Working with Gerhard has been a game changer. His experience and structured approach helped me prepare for my marathon with confidence. But what truly stood out was how his coaching also boosted my performance at work. Gerhard’s unique blend of business acumen and sports coaching created a powerful synergy that’s helped me become more focused, efficient, and energized in all areas of life.

    Alain C. Managing Director Saft, Singapore

  • Great sense of empathy

    Gerhard was with me in the same PCC cohort training, he demonstrates great sense of empathy in his coaching, always being supportive and understanding to coachees. He has extensive experience in both life and sports coaching. Most importantly, he has a heart of gold and takes on a lifetime mission to help people. I strongly recommend him as your pick of coach if you are looking for someone trustworthy and willing to listen.

    Gloria Siu, Head of Real Estate APAC, APM Monaco

  • Really thankful

    As a young alpine ski racer, working with Gerhard has really helped me take the next step. He supports me in staying focused, building confidence, and dealing with pressure – especially before and during races. His coaching gives me practical tools I can use every day, whether it’s handling setbacks, preparing mentally for competition, or just staying positive. I’m really thankful for everything I’ve learned from him and for having him as part of my journey.

    Julian M. Ski alpine pro, Berchtesgarden

  • Most powerful coaches

    Gerhard’s support was exceptional. I really felt motivated as he worked hard with passion. Gerhard helped me in connecting dots and made myself a better human. He is one of the most powerful coaches. It was an honor to have your support Gerhard.

    Khurram A. Senior Project Engineer, Lahore

  • See bigger picture

    Gerhard has helped me with coaching immensely. First to convince me that its such powerful and impactful method to improve yourself and secondly how this will make me focus in defining my life goals and plans to achieve them. Through his coaching I have rediscovered my life statement and it has triggered my motivation to set sight on the bigger picture and what is important in life.

    Omer H. Senior Non Metallic Engineer, Saudi Aramco

  • To empower myself

    Working with Gerhard has been positive and exceptionally helpful. His ability to hold a safe space for me to express my thoughts has enabled me to gain awareness of how my own internal thoughts and feelings have been limiting progress towards my goals. His focus and ability to hear what isn’t said, has pushed me to empower myself to become the person I always knew I could be.

    Dr. Mercia Spare, Director Research Institut, UK

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