Over the past weeks, I’ve had three conversations where my conversation partner mentioned the phrase:
“We’ve set this person up for failure.”
Hiring manager
Otherwise said, we’ve failed ourselves to set this person up for success.
But that sentence you won’t hear very often. Both sentences imply the same, but only one puts the blame directly on the people responsible for this person’s success.… Read the rest
If you have been driving through the Netherlands recently, you had time to look around you.
For sure.
Perhaps you’ve never driven through the Netherlands, but the story still matters to you.
For a few years now, you can’t drive faster than 100 kilometers per hour on Dutch highways.
No matter what, the blue sky is always there.
It’s a great metaphor for seeing through difficult situations and times.
No matter how heavy the storm, how thick the layer of clouds, or how heavy the precipitation is, the blue sky is always there.
A matter of experience.… Read the rest
Sometimes you must create deliberate pain to get something you want to do in motion.
I remember vividly a conversation with my mentor Joyce who often talked about CEOs having to create organizational pain once in a while to shake things up.
When things are becoming complacent, and they often do, you need to create pain.… Read the rest
Last week we spent a few days in the Netherlands.
I had work to do, we visited family and friends and had a good time in The Hague.
Sunday, we drove back.
We benefitted from one extra hour because daylight saving time ended, so we left early and returned home before it got dark (again).… Read the rest
The Queen of England has died.
I wrote this piece the morning after her death was announced.
Seventy years she devoted her life to serving her country.
Suddenly I’m reminded of a song by Dire Straits called ‘Walk of Life.’
The tune enters my head.
A ninety-six years’ Walk of Life’ of which seventy years were dedicated and devoted to being the Queen of England.… Read the rest
For visionary leaders, one size fits all is over.
These leaders understand that people are different, with different needs, different contexts, and different aspirations for the future.
You can’t lead these people as if they’re all the same.
Erikjan Lantink
Last Tuesday, I wrote to you about my regret for not pursuing opportunities to exploit this model.… Read the rest
Recently I shared an insight about my love for writing and how it helps me to grow myself and others.
I’m 54 years old and still with a life ahead of me. Growing is part of me every single day. A day without learning is a day not lived.… Read the rest
Some years ago, Microsoft claimed that the attention span of a human being had evolved so dramatically that it was now shorter than the attention span of a goldfish.
Eight seconds for us human beings.
I added the average word.
Why average?
Because I can’t imagine that every single goldfish is the same.… Read the rest
I’ve said ‘Yes’ way too many times in my life.
For the record, I’m not talking here about getting married multiple times.
I mean saying Yes to projects, jobs, activities, fun suggestions, and things others thought I should be doing.
Initiatives that sounded good, were proposed by well-intended people and would undoubtedly create some good experiences and learning.… Read the rest
What’s your first thought when you read the word obsessed?
It’s probably negative, right?
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with collecting Panini football cards. I did everything possible to get my book completed.
Including the chores I most resented, only to get a little bit of cash to buy cards and complete my album.… Read the rest
You got to love those good old interview questions.
Last week I had a conversation about interview questions. The person I talked to shared her annoyance with questions like, “where do you want to be in five years from now.”
She shared with me that she didn’t see how that was relevant to someone landing a job right now.… Read the rest
Can a company grow too fast?
The answer to that question is yes, but many will struggle to provide me with that answer because they’ve never experienced it.
Recently I spent a few hours in one room with a highly visionary entrepreneur.
Frequently, I seek the company of visionary leaders because they’re a breath of fresh air in a world where target-driven managers dominate.
We have a little coffee place in the next village over that we like to go to. It’s small, authentic, has excellent coffee, the best cakes, and started selling fresh bread last year as well.
There’s only one of it. It serves its unique purpose to people in the village and those who like to walk or bike in the forest nearby.… Read the rest
I love good design.
I’ve always been interested in design, both personally and professionally.
Good design helps tell and sell a story.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t great at math and other exact subjects at school. Otherwise, I would have become an architect.
Architecture is the bridge between imagination and execution.… Read the rest
When was the last time you made time to daydream a little and imagine something you would like to create?
What was it like to pause? How did it make you feel? What were you imagining?
Or perhaps, you didn’t do any of that and the last weeks (or maybe even months) went by in a blur.… Read the rest
You must have come across emails recently offering to help you with your goal setting. Otherwise, you’re not into email, or you’re not reading on the internet.
But you’re reading my insight today, so the chances are that you receive more emails inspiring you to accomplish what you want to achieve.… Read the rest
Tiger Woods played the last six holes of his Masters tournament on Sunday five below par. That means he was five shots better than he should have been according to the course standards (par).
The story is that he posted his worst score ever on the hole before.… Read the rest
