Remember Axel, my foul-mouthed alcohol-soaked mentor, who helped me through my first few years of growing international teams? When it came to understanding different people and different markets, Axel was the king of adapting. He'd eat two lunches per day in regions where lunch was considered an important time to socialize and he'd down pints after work where that was the norm. Axel made strong connections wherever he happened to find himself. 

By mid-2020, like the rest of the planet, he found himself working remotely.  I set out to re-connect with Axel and learn how this master of teambuilding handled the pandemic. How did he build relationships without passports, lunch reservations, and happy hours? What new lessons did he have for the rest of us as we head into a post-pandemic world? Did he have an updated lunch secret?

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