NILS FOSS was born into a family of prominent engineers and followed in their path. In 1956, he founded the family business, FOSS A/S, together with his father. He was also CEO of the global cement and engineering company F.L. Smidth for seven years.

The focus of the memoirs is twofold: Nils Foss reflects on the experiences handed down by previous generations as well as on the demands placed on the business leader of today. According to Foss, it is not necessarily the most intelligent people who make the best leaders; rather, the best leader is a good listener, is analytical and able to make decisions, often in close collaboration with his or her employees. Finally, Nils Foss emphasizes the importance of the many small and large family run businesses whose growth and innovation is the foundation of the future prosperity of Denmark.