In this reflection, Nex Day co-founder Eero Sikka—former Telia B2B executive turned inner-work advocate—shares how unlearning control, embracing trust, and reconnecting to the Self transformed his leadership. He unpacks the invisible beliefs that shape organizations and explains why Nex Day is more than a conference—it’s a systemic reset.
What shaped you into the leader you are today?
13 years in the corporate trenches at Telia, leading B2B Sales and Customer Service. Two kids who remind me daily what real leadership looks like. And a relentless hunger to understand what it actually means to be human — through books, retreats, Gestalt therapy, coaching, and ego-melting inner work. You could say I’ve spent the last decade unlearning control — not just to build trust, but to uncover something deeper: the Self beneath all the roles.
What’s a leadership moment you’re most proud of — and why?
It’s not one moment — it’s a quiet, ongoing shift. The day I stopped needing to have the answers and started holding space for others to step into their own leadership. What followed was real: energy came back into the system, people owned their work, and things started to move with less friction and more purpose.
Why are you willing to invest your time and energy into building Nex.Day?
Because the way we lead flows directly from the way we see reality. If we believe people can’t be trusted, we build systems of control. If we believe we’re separate from each other and the planet, we make decisions that destroy both. Nex.Day exists to challenge those assumptions and invite a shift — from ego-driven leadership to something more conscious, connected, and alive. My mission is to help people reconnect to the Self — because when that happens, leadership transforms. This isn’t just a conference. It’s a reset button.
What does “leadership done differently” mean to you, personally?
It means leading from trust, not control. It means realizing people don’t need to be managed like machines — they need to be met as humans. It’s about working in service of something larger than shareholder value. If you’re only here to extract profit, don’t call it leadership.
What do you hope another leader walks away with after Nex.Day?
A different lens. A deeper breath. The unsettling clarity that there’s a whole other way to build organizations — one where power is shared, purpose is real, and people are energized, not exhausted.