Nearly twenty years ago, I had my first conversation with a mentor who helped me shape who I am today.
I was running supermarket operations at that time, working for a CEO who, in my eyes, was not meant to be CEO.
He was a former CFO who never transitioned from being a CFO to become a CEO.… Read the rest
Have you ever seen a woodchopper running around in a forest trying to chop ten trees simultaneously?
Imagine the scene.
Every time he gets to a tree, he chops at it a few times, and then he goes on to the next tree. After some considerable time running around, all ten trees are still standing, and the woodchopper is worn-out and on his last legs.… Read the rest
When I grew up, there was a show on TV called ‘Keeping up appearances.’
The main character, Hyacinth Bucket, or Bouquet as she called herself, lived a life pretending to be well off and part of society’s elite. I still vividly can hear her over-the-top English accent as she tried to make everyone believe she was the living example of high status.… Read the rest
Last week, the Netherlands’ royal family decided to spend the autumn vacation in their summer house in Greece. They departed on Friday with the governmental plane.
Only the prime minister was aware of their plans as he bears the governmental responsibility for the royal family.
While they were in the air on their way to Greece, hell broke loose at home.… Read the rest
Why silence is such a powerful leadership tool
When Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, paused for 21 seconds (check it out here) before answering a question about the racial tensions in the United States, everybody talked about the pause, not the content of his answer. The pause made most people so uncomfortable that it became the focus of attention during the news reports following the press conference.… Read the rest
