From considerate to constructive: Louise Hahn’s journey to conscious leadership

Decisive action may be perceived as key in the fast-paced world of energy trading, but CEO Louise Hahn explains that trading in fact not only requires highly analytical skills but also emotional balance.

Louise is CEO of Mind Energy (formerly Energi Danmark), and her achievements as a leader did not come from being the loudest and toughest voice in the room. They came from learning to balance her naturally empathetic and considerate leadership style with the ability to offer clear and crisp communication and action when needed.

The reluctant confronter

'I thought I was being clear and direct,' Louise reflects on her early self-perception. But leadership development assessments revealed a predominantly 'green' leadership style – one characterised by conflict avoidance and tendencies to remain passive rather than risk hurting anyone.

This revelation came during a challenging period. 'There were flames coming out of the engine room,' she says, describing one organisation she led. Despite assembling what she thought was the right management team, 'The organisation was under pressure – the team wasn't working together.'

The turning point came when she recognised that her 'green toolbox' wasn't effective in certain situations.

'I was making things worse by not addressing the elephant in the room,' she admits.

'I was actually stimulating the 'red' side of others.' In leadership terminology, ‘red’ represents aggressive behaviours that can damage team dynamics.

New tools for a new approach

Louise's development began with structured approaches to understanding behavioural dynamics. Using tools like the Life Styles Inventory and Organizational Culture Inventory®, she gained insights that changed her perspective on effective leadership and communication.

'It feels like I received a new, magical toolbox,' she says.

This wasn't about abandoning her natural tendencies but expanding her repertoire to include behaviours that didn't come naturally.

She learned to recognise when her inclination for empathy and consideration was not helpful in a situation where a direct approach would be more effective.

As she learned how to interpret her own behavioural patterns, she also learned to read the behaviour of colleagues with a completely different and more individualistic mindset. 'Just because someone says all the right things doesn't mean they're doing the right things or for the right reasons,' she observed.

'You have to look at process and content – what is the real intent behind the behaviour and how does this affect the team, the efficiency and our results.'

The personal cost of growth

Leadership development isn't always comfortable. While Louise describes her journey as less painful than some might experience, it required consistent self-observation and willingness to change ingrained habits.

'I observe my own behaviour constantly,' she shares. 'Have I been too green again? Have I been clear enough? Is the conflict constructive or destructive?'

One of the hardest lessons? Learning when to be patient—and when to act. ‘If something clearly isn’t working, when do you intervene? When do you give it time, and when do you cut through?’

From theory to practice

When Louise first arrived at Energi Danmark, she encountered a culture shaped by a very dominant, hierarchical and traditional leadership style. She describes the dynamics between people back then as polite but afraid to engage, and her mantra became 'Don't take silence for acceptance’.

Louise soon began introducing her leadership team to the leadership development tools and frameworks that had worked for her. Her approach continues to be guided by a simple principle:

'Always do what's right for the company, in a way that is considerate of those it affects.'

This principle has helped her stay on track since 2010, even when her natural ‘green’ tendencies might have led her astray.

The balance of strength and weakness

One of Louise’s most powerful insights has been this: strengths and weaknesses often come from the same place. The thoughtfulness that sometimes makes her hesitate or unclear also gives her the ability to consider multiple perspectives and build inclusive solutions.

'Even though I might miss the moment sometimes, you can always go back,' she says. 'It's never too late – that's something I use a lot.'

'If I witness two colleagues having a destructive dialogue, I might not always address it immediately,' she explains. 'But I can still come back to it later. Sometimes, that's actually better – it gives you time to reflect on why it happened and how you want to handle the situation.'

In other words, Louise has learnt to see her reflective nature not as a weakness to overcome, but as a potential strength when wielded consciously.

The ongoing journey

For Louise, true leadership success isn't about personal recognition.

‘I'll know I've succeeded when the team can play at their best without me.'

'In the first phase of a transformation, you stand at the front pulling the organisation, then the team starts to move and eventually start pulling on their own, and my role is changed to guiding the strategic direction.'

Louise's story isn't one of complete transformation. Rather, it's about expanding her range, developing new tools and learning when to deploy different approaches.

In an industry driven by numbers and performance, Louise demonstrates that effective leadership isn't just about what you achieve – it's about how you achieve it. By embracing her natural strengths and developing in areas that don't come easily, she's creating a leadership approach that combines performance with humanity, results with relationships.

For those who, like Louise, may find themselves naturally inclined to hesitate rather than risk hurting others, her journey offers an important lesson: awareness is the first step toward change.

And sometimes, the qualities we think hold us back can become our greatest strengths when we learn to harness them consciously.

Louise Hahn, CEO of Mind Energy (photo credit: Mind Energy)

About Mind Energy and Louise Hahn

Louise Hahn took on the position as CEO of one of the leading energy trading companies in Europe and the largest independent energy supplier in the Nordic countries, Energi Danmark, in 2023. In 2025, the company united all the Nordic companies under one name: Mind Energy. The new name speaks volumes about the change Louise has fostered in the company.

The Mind Energy website explains the reasoning behind the new name:

1. Intelligence in the sense of 'analytical mind' and 'clever mind', signalling some of the company's core competencies in areas such as analysis and consulting.

2. Attention in the sense of 'mind the gap', signalling the company's interest in energy, energy markets, customers and society.

3. Awareness in the sense of 'Mindful', signalling thoughtfulness and attentiveness towards customers, colleagues and the society.

(source: mindenergy.com)