18 Nov

The one insight everyone misses: why time determines your recovery after redundancy

Redundancy is often treated as a quick transition, but the real determining factor in someone’s recovery is time. The pace at which a person can move through the inner journey of Reflect–Reset–Re-Align–Rise™ depends on financial pressure, VSO terms, WW timelines, emotional impact, and life circumstances. When the process is rushed, unresolved phases return later as stress, confusion, or poor career choices. When people are given time, clarity grows, confidence returns, and their next step becomes intentional rather than reactive. Time isn’t a delay—it’s the space where healing and identity reconstruction take place.
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15 Nov

When redundancy becomes a turning point: What leaders get wrong and how employees can rise stronger (context: The Netherlands)

Redundancy in the Netherlands is legally structured yet psychologically disruptive. Even with strong protections and the VSO process, employees experience identity loss, uncertainty and emotional turbulence. Leaders often underestimate this impact—and the effect on those who remain. Research shows that structured transition support significantly improves outcomes. The 4R Model—Reflect, Reset, Re-Align, Rise—helps individuals stabilize, rebuild identity and re-enter the labor market with clarity and confidence. Increasingly, Dutch organizations engage external coaches during the VSO period to support departing managers and sustain trust, well-being and business continuity. Redundancy is not an ending—it is an inflection point.
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03 Oct

Science-backed habits to make you smarter

In a VUCA world, the leaders and professionals who thrive are not the ones with the most experience — but the ones with the best learning habits. Inspired by Daniel H. Pink’s science-based insights, this article explores eight powerful habits that sharpen thinking, build resilience, and accelerate growth. Whether you’re leading in uncertainty or navigating a career transition after redundancy, these habits — combined with my 4R Model (Reflect > Reset > Re-Align > Rise™) — provide a practical roadmap to stay adaptive, confident, and future-ready.
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26 Sep

Redundancy in the Netherlands: What Employees Need to Know (and Why the Process Is Not About You)

Redundancy in the Netherlands is often misunderstood as a personal failure, while in reality it is a legally structured process with strong employee protections. This article explains your rights, the procedures employers must follow, and the timeframes involved — from UWV approval and notice periods to reassignment obligations, dismissal bans, transition payments and WW benefits. With clarity and compassion, it guides you through what the law requires, what you can expect, and how to move forward confidently in your next career chapter.
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19 Sep

4R model – Reflect, Reset, Re-Align, Rise™

The 4R Model—Reflect, Reset, Re-Align, Rise™—emerged from more than 35 years of leading and coaching in complex, high-pressure environments, combined with solid foundations in transition theory, emotional intelligence, identity work, and psychological safety. Supported by globally respected research (including HBR), the model provides a clear, humane framework that helps people navigate redundancy, burnout, and major career shifts. Instead of treating change as a purely logistical process, 4R guides the deeper psychological journey: understanding what’s happening internally, letting go of old identities, rebuilding direction, and rising with confidence and sustainable momentum. It turns disruption into structured growth.
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22 Aug

A new formula for change

Change doesn’t fail because of poor plans — it fails because people haven’t made the psychological transition. In this article, Jan Salomons explores his formula for successful change, combining shared vision, urgency, leadership, learning, and capacity. Drawing on his decades of experience and his VUCA leadership approach, he explains how leaders can guide teams through endings, transitions, and new beginnings while maintaining trust and connection. Learn why managing change isn’t enough — leading transition is what truly drives sustainable transformation.
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22 Nov

System thinking: how wolves change rivers

How Wolves Can Teach Us About Leadership and Change Did you know that reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park transformed not just the ecosystem but also the rivers themselves? This powerful example of systems thinking reveals how small, strategic changes can cascade through an interconnected system, creating profound and lasting impacts. In leadership, the same principle applies. Addressing one key area—like improving communication or fostering collaboration—can ripple through a team or organization, unlocking potential and driving sustainable change. Coaching helps leaders identify these leverage points, empowering them to think systemically and lead strategically. Just as the wolves revitalized Yellowstone, a well-guided leader can create positive transformations that benefit their entire organization. Are you ready to lead change in a way that truly matters?...
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