Frank M. Scheelen, often dubbed “Germany’s fastest entrepreneur,” has made his mark not just in the corporate world but also on the race track. As a Ferrari Series race car driver and motorboat racing enthusiast, Frank’s love for speed and precision runs deep. “Racing demands focus, precision, and the courage to take risks,” he says, “qualities that mirror what it takes to succeed in business.”
Frank’s dual worlds of entrepreneurship and racing share more than just adrenaline; they both require calm under pressure, swift decision-making, and the ability to adapt quickly. Drawing from his experiences, he often compares telemetry data in racing—used to refine performance—with leadership analytics. “The way I improved from a good racer to an excellent one is the same way leaders evolve—through data-driven insights and relentless focus on improvement,” Frank explains.
Over the years, he has shared these lessons through his books and keynote speeches, inspiring audiences worldwide. He speaks passionately about risk management, resilience, and making every second count, both on the track and in the boardroom.
Frank’s entrepreneurial journey began with a simple yet profound realization. Early in his career, he found himself at odds with the corporate culture of a large organization. “The job didn’t suit me, but back then, there was no way to measure or evaluate the fit between an employee’s skills, personality, and job requirements,” he recalls. This mismatch wasn’t unique to him—thousands of employees and managers faced the same issue. That insight became the foundation for a revolutionary idea.
Transformative Work for Both Organizations and Individuals
Determined to create better alignment between people and organizations, Frank developed a comprehensive system for competence and personality diagnostics, consulting, training, and coaching. The goal was clear: to match employees with roles that truly fit them and to help good leaders become great leaders, driving exceptional results.
Frank’s work proved transformative, not just for individuals but for entire organizations. His research, in collaboration with Zenger Folkman, demonstrated that resource-oriented, goal-driven leadership doesn’t just boost morale—it drives above-average sales and organizational success.
But Frank’s vision didn’t stop there. Recognizing the growing challenges of workplace stress and mental health, he expanded his focus. “Every year, companies and economies lose billions to stress-related illnesses,” Frank notes. To address this, he developed RELIEF by SCHEELEN®, a system that combines leadership training, diagnostics, and coaching to tackle organizational mental health challenges head-on.
Now, Frank and his team are pioneering AI-driven solutions to revolutionize mental health support. Their vision? A central platform—a “Google for organizational mental health.” The platform will provide everyone, from students to CEOs, with tools to proactively maintain mental well-being. “With our AI avatar coach, we aim to support people before burnout strikes, because by then, it’s often too late,” Frank shares.
The platform focuses on diagnosing various aspects of organizational, process-related, and individual stressors, as well as identifying existing or expandable resilience factors. “You have to measure first and then take action,” Frank explains. “With targeted trainings, coachings, and a focus on self-leadership and improved leadership practices, we aim to foster resilience and well-being across the board. Only then can you measure meaningful improvement and ensure sustainable mental health support.”
Crafting Leadership Excellence
Frank’s entrepreneurial journey has always been rooted in a deep appreciation for strong leadership and strategic planning. Early in his career, he realized the power of these principles in shaping the trajectory of business success. This insight led him to establish his own company, with a clear focus on leadership development and organizational growth.
His dedication to learning brought him to the United States, a hub of innovative thought in leadership and self-management. As a young man, Frank trained with some of the best minds of his time, including renowned business expert Brian Tracy. Together, they collaborated on several ventures across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, resulting in joint publications that remain influential to this day.
Frank’s company, SCHEELEN® AG, grew with a focus on creating a comprehensive system—introducing innovative tools and expanding into complementary areas like consulting, training, coaching, and publishing. “We’ve consistently added new dimensions, from tools addressing mental health and stress reduction, like RELIEF by SCHEELEN®, to establishing our presence in new markets, including the USA,” says Frank.
This forward-thinking approach has allowed Frank to pioneer solutions that empower leaders and organizations to thrive. His books and speeches delve into topics like future competencies and navigating change, drawing from his experiences and collaborations with countless entrepreneurs, business leaders, and partners. His work, backed by massive research initiatives with universities and expert partners worldwide, has become a beacon for those navigating the evolving business landscape.
Frank also highlights the pivotal collaborations with thought leaders like Joe Folkman and Jack Zenger, whose expertise in leadership development has shaped extraordinary outcomes through data-driven research. These partnerships, alongside others such as TTI Success Insights® and OutMatch (now: Harver) have strengthened SCHEELEN® AG’s offerings in competence development and leadership profiling.
The scientifically grounded OutMatch ASSESS by SCHEELEN® tools enable businesses to define the skills they need for future success. These tools create target profiles that not only evaluate the competencies of current staff but also compare the skills of applicants to the organization’s requirements. This ensures the creation of satisfying and effective teams while improving recruitment processes. Additionally, the tools offer competency-related interview questions to refine candidate selection. In essence, the OutMatch ASSESS tool serves as an ideal foundation for sustainable leadership development and coaching processes, enabling organizations to build a resilient and future-ready workforce.
Innovation remains at the heart of Frank’s vision. SCHEELEN® AG is now delving into AI-supported tools designed to revolutionize competence and personality profiling, leadership development, and mental health strategies. “We’re working toward equipping companies with tools for future success, empowering individuals and organizations alike,” shares Frank.
Yet, the journey has not been without challenges. Building a business from the ground up demanded resilience and grit. Frank believes that true success is rooted not just in talent but in perseverance. “Dedication, resilience, and the ability to push through tough times—that’s what sets great leaders apart,” he notes.
The Art of Understanding People
Frank’s fascination with personality diagnostics has been a cornerstone of his career. His new US-book, The Power of Reading People (2024), co-authored with M. Vanessa Boettcher, encapsulates his belief that understanding others is the key to effective communication. “When you can engage with people on their terms, you unlock the ability to connect, adapt, and inspire,” says Frank.
Through years of research and practice, Frank has championed the role of self-assessment and behavioral insight in fostering meaningful interactions. Whether in sales, leadership, or recruitment, understanding the underlying motivations of others allows for more empathetic and effective engagement.
For sales professionals, these insights refine pitches, objection handling, and closing techniques, aligning them with customer preferences. In leadership, understanding behavioral tendencies enables managers to inspire peak performance, tailor conflict resolution strategies, and align individual motivations with organizational goals.
In recruitment, this knowledge ensures that candidates are not only equipped with the necessary skills but also align with team dynamics and cultural values. For teams, understanding diverse behavioral styles helps to mitigate conflict, leverage strengths, and foster collaboration.
“By understanding people’s emotional landscapes, we can build workplaces where diversity isn’t just acknowledged but actively celebrated,” Frank explains. Behavioral diagnostics also provide a roadmap for personal and professional growth, empowering employees to enhance their strengths and find fulfillment in their roles.
Frank’s work emphasizes the transformative power of these insights in creating resilient, efficient, and happy organizations. He believes that a workplace built on understanding and adaptability is one that fosters success at every level—individual, team, and organizational.
The Art of Inspiring Leadership
Frank’s leadership philosophy centers on fostering an environment where employees take ownership within a shared corporate vision. His guiding principle, “leadership by exception,” reflects a balanced approach: he only steps in when managers seek his intervention, trusting his teams to navigate their responsibilities effectively. Frank believes that this trust empowers individuals and cultivates strong communication within the organization. “I see myself as the innovator,” Frank says, “developing ideas and visions that inspire and motivate people to follow these paths.”
At the heart of his message is a focus on vision and values. For Frank, success goes beyond profitability—it’s about creating something meaningful and aligned with core beliefs. He often shares this sentiment in his keynote speeches, emphasizing that extraordinary leadership hinges on inspiring and motivating others. He further elaborates, “Entrepreneurial Excellence, or “Unternehmen Exzellenz,” is a play on words that reflects the effort to strive for excellence in every respect, whether as an individual or an organization.”
Frank’s research explores the qualities that make leaders exceptional. This concept was originally developed by Zenger Folkman, and Scheelen AG has further enhanced it, making it more widely known and utilized. It reveals that the best leaders don’t aim for perfection in every area but instead master two or three competencies that leverage their strengths. Among the 19 essential leadership competencies identified, the ability to inspire and motivate stands out as pivotal yet often underdeveloped. “An exceptional leader doesn’t need to eliminate all weaknesses,” Frank notes. “What truly matters is building extraordinary strengths that drive the organization forward.”
His approach underscores the power of alignment—matching individual personalities, skills, and values with those of the company. When people feel they belong, have room to grow, and see their values reflected in their work, the result is a cohesive and resilient team. Frank believes that organizations excel when individuals develop their potential within a supportive environment, highlighting that extraordinary leadership can double an organization’s performance by empowering teams to thrive together.
Profiling and Hyperpersonalization: The Future of Leadership and Business
Finding the right talent and building effective teams is both an art and a science. Frank emphasizes the importance of matching individual potential with organizational needs. Tools like INSIGHTS MDI® provide businesses with a robust framework to assess behavior, motives, and emotional intelligence, offering a scientific basis for recruitment and talent management. Frank believes that competency isn’t static but must be measured and nurtured with the right tools to ensure success.
Frank’s SCHEELEN® tools, such as OutMatch ASSESS, help organizations define the skills needed for future challenges. By creating clear target profiles, companies can evaluate their workforce and applicants more effectively. “It’s not just about hiring talent,” Frank explains, “but about building teams that resonate with the company’s goals, ensuring satisfaction for both the organization and its employees.”
Mental health and workplace well-being are also central to Scheelen’s methodology. Tools like RELIEF Stress Prevention identify stressors and provide actionable insights for creating healthier work environments. These tools support professionals in maintaining their performance while fostering a culture of well-being. “Humans thrive in positive, meaningful atmospheres,” he states, underscoring the importance of mental health for productivity.
Another pivotal trend in business leadership is hyperpersonalization, which revolutionizes customer engagement. Tools like Crystal from LinkedIn enable companies to craft highly individualized communication strategies by analyzing personality profiles. Whether it’s addressing a dominant, data-driven, or relationship-oriented customer, understanding personal motivators enhances every stage of the customer journey. “This is where science meets the art of connection,” Scheelen notes. “The ability to communicate on someone’s wavelength is the key to irresistible relationship management.”
An example of this approach is the well-known INSIGHTS MDI® personality tool, which categorizes customers into four archetypes: red (dominant-power-conscious), yellow (inspiring-creative), blue (data-control-driven), and green (socially-absorbed). By understanding these personality traits, sales professionals can communicate effectively and inspire trust. For instance, red customers thrive in fact-based, assertive exchanges, while yellow customers value innovation and enthusiasm. Green customers prioritize relationships and security, requiring a trust-building approach, and blue customers are data-focused, needing detailed, logical persuasion.
INSIGHTS MDI® also identifies customers’ deeper values, such as aesthetic, economic, or social drivers, providing sales teams with hyperpersonalized insights to address customer needs throughout their lifecycle—from initial engagement to upselling. The tool’s evolution into an AI-supported solution enhances this further by integrating real-time data from interactions, generating personalized follow-ups, and even crafting customer-specific communication strategies.
Scheelen AG is collaborating with AI start-ups to integrate hyperpersonalization with cutting-edge technologies, such as voice-pattern analysis and XR (extended reality). This innovation is paving the way for virtual sales assistants capable of interpreting and applying hyperpersonalized customer data to high-stakes sales, from luxury real estate to advanced service offerings, making relationship management truly irresistible.
Building a Legacy of Purpose
Legacy—it’s a word loaded with meaning. For Frank, it signifies a dual mission, rooted in profound impact on people’s lives and workplace well-being.
Frank envisions a world where individuals discover and embrace their true vocation. “If someone can live their vocation in their job,” he shares, “it’s practically the last day they had to work. It’s day one of truly earning not only a living but a life.” This belief fuels his ventures, books, and tools, designed to help people align their careers with their passions.
Equally, Frank is determined to revolutionize mental health and well-being in the workplace. In his view, the modern workforce is grappling with unprecedented challenges—burnout, stress, and boreout, all of which have a human and economic cost. “Every figure is a suffering human being,” he emphasizes.
For Frank, the ultimate legacy lies in developing tools that not only save billions in healthcare costs but also profoundly improve people’s lives, workplaces, and health. “This is the purpose of my legacy,” he concludes, driven by the vision of a more fulfilling and sustainable future for all.
The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence
Frank’s advice for those aspiring to greatness is clear: strive to realize your full potential. This journey begins with self-awareness. “You must first recognize your potential,” he explains, “profiling yourself—understanding your strengths, development areas, motivators, and beliefs.” Tools like 360-degree feedback, he suggests, provide invaluable insights to uncover opportunities for growth.
Every monumental achievement starts with personal improvement. Whether it’s leading a team, building a company, or shaping a better world, excellence is a value in itself. Frank champions a mindset that views setbacks as stepping stones. “Success requires talent and tenacity—a belief in oneself and a readiness to adapt,” he asserts.
The business landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace, demanding innovation and bold thinking. For Frank, innovation is more than a buzzword; it’s a commitment to evolving ideas over time. Reflecting on his own journey, he says, “I’ve been pursuing the big concept of making personality, competence, talent, and performance measurable and trainable for decades. But the tools and technologies have continually adapted and improved over 30 years.”
He cautions against complacency: “Resting on your laurels allows the competition to overtake you.” Resilience, adaptability, and an unyielding focus on the vision are crucial, regardless of external challenges.
Frank believes in the transformative power of vision. “If you pursue a promising, meaningful goal, the path will emerge as you go. And then you can inspire and empower others—employees, partners, or customers.” This relentless pursuit, he argues, brings an invaluable reward: the treasure of self-efficacy.
Leaders who embrace this mindset become more than managers—they become role models, guiding lights, and sources of inspiration. “Your actions make a real difference in the world,” Frank reminds us, leaving no doubt that his journey is not just about personal success but about empowering others to achieve their own.
A Visionary Shaping the Future
Frank M. Scheelen has transformed workplace mental health with innovative tools like RELIEF by SCHEELEN®. His AI-driven solutions enhance organizational performance while promoting resilience and well-being globally. Sometimes dubbed “Germany’s fastest entrepreneur,” Frank stands out for his rapid adaptability and effective innovation.
Focused on unlocking human potential, he creates environments where individuals thrive and companies excel. By integrating telemetry and AI, Frank is paving the way for a healthier, smarter future. His commitment to empowering people and organizations has earned him recognition as “Most Innovative Entrepreneur – 2025.”
For More Info: https://www.scheelen-institut.com/en