Speerpunt 3
What thoughts, images, or feelings pop into your head when I say the word shark to you?
Likely, the connotation you have with sharks is not that positive.
For some of you, the movie Jaws may come to mind. A movie about a shark causing death and destruction.
We also know stories about human beings being attacked by sharks close to beaches resulting in death or body parts lost in the attacks.… Read the rest
The hospitality industry has always fascinated me.
I guess it has to do with my curious mind, love for discovery and travel, and passion for making a difference in people’s lives.
When you work in hospitality, you need to have a feel for the fact that your customers are looking for a good experience while being away from their zone of comfort.… Read the rest
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
I love what I do.
Part of that love is the time I get to spend with clients.
I was privileged to spend time with a client in Madrid a few weeks ago.
Some clients include you in their entire program. Other clients are more reserved, which means dinner on your own.… Read the rest
“To take time to think is to gain time to live.”
Nancy Kline
The above sentence is a quote from the book “Time to Think” by Nancy Kline.
My goal is to finish at least 26 books this year, i.e., at least two per month, and the three I have read so far have increased my expectations and excitement for the remainder of the year.… Read the rest
We’re all a bit mad.
Acting as if the things we’re engaged in in our lives are all cleverly thought through.
Acting as if we know exactly what we’re doing.
We’re not.
Money is made up. Democracy is made up. The recipe for your dinner is made up.… Read the rest
Twenty Twenty Three.
I wouldn’t say I like it.
I don’t like odd years. I don’t know why, but even years are more compelling.
Twenty-Twenty-Two sounded so much better. That’s water under the bridge now.
This is day three of the next five years.
Two days are done, 1824 days to go.… Read the rest
I had a great lunch with a good friend the other week.
What made the lunch great was the conversation, the food, the atmosphere, and the fact I didn’t see him for a while.
He’s an opinionated person.
He’s a successful entrepreneur who works for fun.
That’s how I see him.… Read the rest
What’s the best team you’ve ever been part of?
You can think about this question in the broadest meaning. Not just business teams, sports teams, and perhaps a team of friends or family at home.
I classify people ‘working’ together as teamwork.
I often ask this question as an introduction to teamwork. … Read the rest
What do you do with milk that has expired?
What do you do with clothes that are no longer in fashion?
Recently I heard the term ‘old school’ again from two different sources within two days.
It had been a while since I heard the term, so it triggered a reaction. … Read the rest
Imagine.
You’re the star of the company or team.
Thanks to your contribution, the company makes significant profits, is recognized as a leading brand, is admired by everyone in the industry, and is a heavily sought-after employer.
You know the results of the company (or team) would dive if you decided to leave or something would happen to you.… Read the rest
You love the work that you do. You’re learning and growing while contributing to the success of your business. You enjoy your life outside work. You have a great group of friends you love to spend time with. You’re able to get some regular exercise in.… Read the rest
This a common phrase when we play games with friends or family.
These words typically come out when we don’t pay attention and are somewhere else in our minds or are doing something else.
It’s your turn from the moment you’re born.… 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 I received a Whatsapp message from a good friend in the Netherlands.
He and I both meditate and call each other occasionally to discuss our experiences.
We’re both educated in economics.
He is, in my words, a hard-core finance guy who did well for himself. I’ve chosen the leadership side of business because I believe that’s where it all starts.… 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 world deserves better leaders.
That’s why I do what I do.
Doing what I do will help improve our collective human experience, one leader, one conversation at a time.
Ambitious.… Read the rest
The only way is up.
Until it’s not.
From the moment we’re born, our eyes are focused upwards unless we’re lying on our belly.
Our age goes up. Our length goes up. Our weight goes up. At school, grades our counting upward (in most countries).
With our first job, our income goes up.… Read the rest
“A fish stinks from the head.”
Rumi
Rumi, a Turkish poet who lived towards the end of the 13th century, wrote “The Third Book of Masnavi,” where the phrase appears as follows: “Fish begins to stink at the head, not the tail.”
We often hear this quote in a business environment.
I’m sure you’ve heard it before, and it basically means that when problems arise in a business, it makes sense to look at the top of the company first.… 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
