Achieve Your
Peak Performance
Forged through adversity. Refined by success.
Distilled from 30 years in boardrooms, research, teaching, and life. Helping you show up at your best. Especially when the pressure is on.
Trusted by Companies, Universities, and Senior Leaders
With additional work for startups, scale-ups, and professional organizations across Europe and the U.S.
Three Program Formats. One Standard.
Three Program Formats. One Standard.
UNLEASHED - Doc U Goal Achievement System
A one-day in-person intensive for people tired of stalled goals and unlived opportunities. UNLEASHED helps you turn intention into action — and commitment into measurable progress.
Doc U Peak Performance System
A three-day flagship program for people who want to raise their overall level of performance — sustainably. Peak Performance builds deep self-understanding and integrates achievement, health, and meaning into a coherent way of living and working.
Doc U Study Excellence System
Most students don’t fail because they aren’t capable. They fail because they were never trained how to learn, focus, and perform. Study Excellence is a structured online learning system that closes that gap.
Doc U Peak Performance System
The flagship program of the Doc U Performance Ecosystem.
A three-day, high-immersion live program for people who want to operate at a higher level — not just for a moment, but sustainably. Peak Performance is for those who sense that more is possible: more clarity, more effectiveness, more fulfillment — without burning out or losing themselves along the way.
Over three days, you work deeply on how you function: how you set and pursue meaningful goals, how you organize your life and energy, how you overcome inner resistance, and how you align action with who you truly are. You develop a much deeper understanding of yourself — and learn how to base decisions and execution on that understanding.
Peak Performance integrates achievement, health, meaning, and inner stability into a coherent way of living and working. It helps you move beyond your current level and build a form of personal mastery that holds over time. This is not about doing more. It is about becoming capable of more — in a way that is effective, aligned, and sustainable.
Voices from classrooms, boardrooms, and real work — on Dr. Ulrich Winkler
"“Dr. Ulrich played an instrumental role in establishing a highly successful line of business that not only drove revenue, but significantly strengthened brand positioning and competitive advantage. What sets Dr. Ulrich apart is his leadership under pressure — combining analytical rigor with the ability to consistently deliver results.”"
"Ulrich is a doer with strategic vision who gets things done — even under suboptimal conditions. He consistently sees initiatives through to completion while maintaining a clear focus on the end goal and has a remarkable ability to unite people behind a shared vision."
"Your teaching was the highlight for me. I felt pushed and learned things that were genuinely new, complementing my technical knowledge in a powerful way. It changed how I see myself, increased my confidence, and helped me move into a management role I had been working toward for years."
"Dr. Winkler (...) successfully led a collaborative project to build and deliver a new executive education program for Board Members and C-Level Executives on the topic of AI. I value his attention to detail, his customer-focused mindset, and his innovative approach to problem solving."
"I had the honor to attend Ulrich’s two days workshop about leadership: an outstanding inspiring experience that has left a deep legacy to me. The short but intense experience with Ulrich has really made an impact on me."
"Ulrich combines a deep understanding of business strategy with the rare ability to bring diverse people together around a shared vision. His meticulous attention to detail is matched by a clear, direct way of communicating what needs to be done — at every level of an organization."
"Ulrich, delivered an amazing engaging leadership presentation (...). As a result, The University of Sheffield engaged Ulrich for a strategic workshop with our Senior Team to develop our new vision and mission"
"Dr. Ulrich is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable professors I have encountered in my learning journey. His unique methods of teaching adults impressed me from the very beginning."
"Ulrich’s strength lies in his depth of experience. He spots the gaps you can’t see and frames them in a way that demands action."
"Thanks to Dr. Winkler we were able to create authentic statements for our corporate values, vision and mission. He did an outstanding job and delivered extremely satisfying results."
"“Dr. Ulrich played an instrumental role in establishing a highly successful line of business that not only drove revenue, but significantly strengthened brand positioning and competitive advantage. What sets Dr. Ulrich apart is his leadership under pressure — combining analytical rigor with the ability to consistently deliver results.”"
"Ulrich is a doer with strategic vision who gets things done — even under suboptimal conditions. He consistently sees initiatives through to completion while maintaining a clear focus on the end goal and has a remarkable ability to unite people behind a shared vision."
"Your teaching was the highlight for me. I felt pushed and learned things that were genuinely new, complementing my technical knowledge in a powerful way. It changed how I see myself, increased my confidence, and helped me move into a management role I had been working toward for years."
"Dr. Winkler (...) successfully led a collaborative project to build and deliver a new executive education program for Board Members and C-Level Executives on the topic of AI. I value his attention to detail, his customer-focused mindset, and his innovative approach to problem solving."
"I had the honor to attend Ulrich’s two days workshop about leadership: an outstanding inspiring experience that has left a deep legacy to me. The short but intense experience with Ulrich has really made an impact on me."
"Ulrich combines a deep understanding of business strategy with the rare ability to bring diverse people together around a shared vision. His meticulous attention to detail is matched by a clear, direct way of communicating what needs to be done — at every level of an organization."
"Ulrich, delivered an amazing engaging leadership presentation (...). As a result, The University of Sheffield engaged Ulrich for a strategic workshop with our Senior Team to develop our new vision and mission"
"Dr. Ulrich is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable professors I have encountered in my learning journey. His unique methods of teaching adults impressed me from the very beginning."
"Ulrich’s strength lies in his depth of experience. He spots the gaps you can’t see and frames them in a way that demands action."
"Thanks to Dr. Winkler we were able to create authentic statements for our corporate values, vision and mission. He did an outstanding job and delivered extremely satisfying results."
"“Dr. Ulrich played an instrumental role in establishing a highly successful line of business that not only drove revenue, but significantly strengthened brand positioning and competitive advantage. What sets Dr. Ulrich apart is his leadership under pressure — combining analytical rigor with the ability to consistently deliver results.”"
"Ulrich is a doer with strategic vision who gets things done — even under suboptimal conditions. He consistently sees initiatives through to completion while maintaining a clear focus on the end goal and has a remarkable ability to unite people behind a shared vision."
"Your teaching was the highlight for me. I felt pushed and learned things that were genuinely new, complementing my technical knowledge in a powerful way. It changed how I see myself, increased my confidence, and helped me move into a management role I had been working toward for years."
"Dr. Winkler (...) successfully led a collaborative project to build and deliver a new executive education program for Board Members and C-Level Executives on the topic of AI. I value his attention to detail, his customer-focused mindset, and his innovative approach to problem solving."
"I had the honor to attend Ulrich’s two days workshop about leadership: an outstanding inspiring experience that has left a deep legacy to me. The short but intense experience with Ulrich has really made an impact on me."
"Ulrich combines a deep understanding of business strategy with the rare ability to bring diverse people together around a shared vision. His meticulous attention to detail is matched by a clear, direct way of communicating what needs to be done — at every level of an organization."
"Ulrich, delivered an amazing engaging leadership presentation (...). As a result, The University of Sheffield engaged Ulrich for a strategic workshop with our Senior Team to develop our new vision and mission"
"Dr. Ulrich is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable professors I have encountered in my learning journey. His unique methods of teaching adults impressed me from the very beginning."
"Ulrich’s strength lies in his depth of experience. He spots the gaps you can’t see and frames them in a way that demands action."
"Thanks to Dr. Winkler we were able to create authentic statements for our corporate values, vision and mission. He did an outstanding job and delivered extremely satisfying results."
"“Dr. Ulrich played an instrumental role in establishing a highly successful line of business that not only drove revenue, but significantly strengthened brand positioning and competitive advantage. What sets Dr. Ulrich apart is his leadership under pressure — combining analytical rigor with the ability to consistently deliver results.”"
"Ulrich is a doer with strategic vision who gets things done — even under suboptimal conditions. He consistently sees initiatives through to completion while maintaining a clear focus on the end goal and has a remarkable ability to unite people behind a shared vision."
"Your teaching was the highlight for me. I felt pushed and learned things that were genuinely new, complementing my technical knowledge in a powerful way. It changed how I see myself, increased my confidence, and helped me move into a management role I had been working toward for years."
"Dr. Winkler (...) successfully led a collaborative project to build and deliver a new executive education program for Board Members and C-Level Executives on the topic of AI. I value his attention to detail, his customer-focused mindset, and his innovative approach to problem solving."
"I had the honor to attend Ulrich’s two days workshop about leadership: an outstanding inspiring experience that has left a deep legacy to me. The short but intense experience with Ulrich has really made an impact on me."
"Ulrich combines a deep understanding of business strategy with the rare ability to bring diverse people together around a shared vision. His meticulous attention to detail is matched by a clear, direct way of communicating what needs to be done — at every level of an organization."
"Ulrich, delivered an amazing engaging leadership presentation (...). As a result, The University of Sheffield engaged Ulrich for a strategic workshop with our Senior Team to develop our new vision and mission"
"Dr. Ulrich is undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable professors I have encountered in my learning journey. His unique methods of teaching adults impressed me from the very beginning."
"Ulrich’s strength lies in his depth of experience. He spots the gaps you can’t see and frames them in a way that demands action."
"Thanks to Dr. Winkler we were able to create authentic statements for our corporate values, vision and mission. He did an outstanding job and delivered extremely satisfying results."
UNLEASHED – Doc U Goal Achievement System
A one-day in-person intensive for people tired of stalled goals and unlived opportunities.
UNLEASHED helps you understand why execution has failed in the past, where resistance actually comes from, and how it operates in your case. You learn how to cut through these barriers and install structures that translate your goals into daily action — so you can make measurable progress toward goals that matter to you, not abstract ideals.
This is not motivational fluff — it is a threshold experience that changes how you relate to goals, commitment, and execution.
The Doc U Study Excellence System
Most students are expected to perform academically without ever being trained how learning, preparation, and performance actually work. Grades, exams, and deadlines arrive — but the methods needed to handle them effectively are never taught. When results fall short, you may blame yourself (or your teachers). The problem, however, is almost always one of training, not capability.
Study Excellence is a structured online learning program designed to change that. It teaches you how to learn, focus, and perform in an academic setting through proven methods grounded in learning psychology, neuroscience, executive coaching, and performance psychology. The goal is simple: replace ineffective habits with approaches that reliably translate effort into results.
Study Excellence goes beyond techniques. It builds the self-organization, discipline, and follow-through required to operate deliberately rather than reactively — even when pressure increases.
The result is not just better grades. It is competence, confidence, and the ability to operate with clarity. These are skills you don't discard after an exam or a semester — they form a foundation for learning and performance that remains useful throughout your life.
Earned authority — roles and responsibilities
- PhD in Economics
- Professor of Leadership and Strategy (Top-100 university globally)
- Academic Director, NYU SPS — AI Masterclass (AIMC)
- MBA Advisory Board Member, Texas A&M University
- Executive Vice President, EBS University — executive education, academic strategy, program development
- Managing Director, Goethe Business School — built a business school from the ground up (alliance Duke University and Frankfurt University)
- Built and led executive education units and programs for senior leaders and boards over two decades
- Advised executives and organizations under real competitive and operational pressure — from startups to listed companies
What I Actually Teach — and Why It Works
What I teach is not theory, opinion, or borrowed frameworks. I teach operating principles that have survived contact with reality.
What you encounter in my programs is the result of a decades-long compression process: hundreds of thousands of pages read, filtered through lived pressure, field-tested in classrooms, boardrooms, and my own life — and pruned aggressively. Much of what sounds convincing on paper fails under real conditions. I’ve discarded a great deal of it.
What remains is what reliably holds: structures that translate insight into action, and action into results — without burning people out or turning life into a performance stunt.
Through decades of leading executive education units and programs, I’ve refined one core capability: creating significant learning experiences
Not information. Not motivation. But learning that changes how you think, decide, and act — sustainably.
That is what I bring into every program.
SCI — Science · Craft · Inspiration
Science tells us what holds. Craft makes it usable. Inspiration makes it stick.
Science
Science ensures that we don’t ignore the vast body of knowledge that already exists. It also ensures we don’t drown in it. Research, theory, and evidence are compressed, filtered, and made accessible — keeping what holds up, discarding what doesn’t translate into real-world performance.
What remains is knowledge that survives contact with reality.
Craft
Craft is the discipline of application. Everything taught must pass one filter: the Monday Test — how do you use this on Monday?
Craft turns insight into structure, structure into behavior, and behavior into repeatable action. It is what prevents learning from remaining conceptual or collapsing into motivational theater once real constraints return.
Inspiration
Inspiration is what carries learning through resistance, setbacks, and pressure. It restores agency when motivation fades and life interferes. Not hype — but the energy to stay engaged, get back up, and continue acting when the going gets tough and it would be easier to stop.
Together, Science, Craft, and Inspiration create learning that holds under pressure. Not just information. Not just motivation. But capability — the ability to think clearly, decide deliberately, and act consistently when conditions are imperfect.
This is the standard every program I build has to meet.
The Logo Story
The crest at the center of this work is not decorative. It is inherited.
My family did not come from aristocracy. There was no inherited title, no coat of arms passed down by default.
During the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century, one of my forebears fought as a common crossbowman. Through courage and gallantry in battle, he earned recognition from his lord and was granted this crest. The crossbow you see at its center reflects that origin.
To me, the crest stands for the courage to do what is difficult when it would be easier to retreat. For acting with resolve rather than entitlement.
I use this crest not as a brand device, but as a reminder of continuity, principles that outlast individuals, circumstances, and eras.
It is part of where I come from — and what I carry forward.
The CH²AMP Framework
Six interlocking pillars that form the foundation of sustained high performance. Each pillar is grounded in science, refined through practice, and infused with inspiration.
Clarity
Knowing who you are, what drives you, and what matters to you — so decisions are grounded rather than reactive.
Health
Building a sustainable energy system — physiological foundations that support focus, resilience, and vitality over time.
Happiness
Cultivating lightness and everyday joy as a stable way of being — beyond pleasure and excitement.
Achievement
Making measurable progress toward meaningful goals — and developing mastery through sustained practice.
Meaning
Anchoring action in what matters to you — discovered through deep engagement, not borrowed ideals.
Peace
Remaining calm and grounded when pressure is on — through regulation, not avoidance.
Clarity
Knowing who you are, what drives you, and what matters to you — so decisions are grounded rather than reactive.
Health
Building a sustainable energy system — physiological foundations that support focus, resilience, and vitality over time.
Happiness
Cultivating lightness and everyday joy as a stable way of being — beyond pleasure and excitement.
Achievement
Making measurable progress toward meaningful goals — and developing mastery through sustained practice.
Meaning
Anchoring action in what matters to you — discovered through deep engagement, not borrowed ideals.
Peace
Remaining calm and grounded when pressure is on — through regulation, not avoidance.
Organizations That Have Trusted My Work
