17 Jan

Why your soft skills are now the premium skills in the AI era

Generative AI has not eliminated the need for expertise. It has eliminated the need for unexamined expertise. In organizations, the most damaging failures no longer come from a lack of technical capability, but from poor problem framing, misplaced optimization, and leaders who mistake speed for judgment. As AI takes over more of the executional “middle,” human value shifts to the boundaries: defining what truly matters and taking responsibility for real-world consequences. This is why so-called soft skills—critical thinking, systems...
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16 Jan

How to ask for a conversation through your network (incl. checklist)

Many experienced leaders hesitate when reaching out to their network, not because they lack capability, but because they struggle with how to ask. This article explains why senior professionals often get networking wrong, how to reframe outreach as a leadership act, and how to invite meaningful conversations that lead to real opportunities.
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02 Jan

Results are never the problem. They are the mirror.

Leadership is not revealed in intentions, values, or language. It is revealed in results. In my work with leaders and teams, I always start with outcomes — and then work backwards to what leadership truly demands under pressure. Not to judge, but to understand which patterns, decisions, and behaviors are quietly shaping performance. Results are never the problem. They are the mirror.
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18 Dec

One-on-ones as a leadership discipline: from status updates to development dialogues

2 persons having a one-on-one conversation in a meeting room behind a table with icons above their heads illustrating content components
One-on-one meetings are one of the most powerful leadership tools — and one of the most frequently misused. Drawing from personal leadership experience and evidence-based research, this article explores how leaders can design and execute one-on-ones that go beyond status updates and become conversations that build clarity, trust, and sustainable performance.
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12 Dec

My leadership journey: from engineering teacher to global executive to leadership (team) coach

man leaning against glass window with his reflection in it
In this personal leadership journey, Jan Salomons shares how he transitioned from an engineering teacher to a global executive and ultimately to a leadership and executive coach. Drawing on more than 35 years of international leadership experience across complex organisations, he reveals the pivotal insights that shaped his purpose: leadership is human work, not just technical or operational skill. His evolution into coaching grew from a belief that sustained behavioural change and self-awareness unlock real performance and resilient teams
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11 Dec

Evidence-Based Impact of Coaching: What the Most Reliable Studies Show

The latest scientific research on workplace coaching shows a clear, measurable pattern: meaningful change happens in four stages. Leaders first gain emotional clarity and self-awareness, then release limiting beliefs, realign their behaviour and skills with a stronger identity, and finally see measurable performance improvements. This progression mirrors the 4R Model (Reflect–Reset–Re-Align–Rise™). Backed by meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials, the evidence confirms that sustainable leadership performance begins with inner clarity—not with KPIs.
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09 Dec

Stillness and reflection: the hidden courage behind authentic leadership

In a world full of noise and pressure, the most courageous leaders are not the loudest ones, but the ones who create space for stillness and honest self-reflection. Like a quiet bridge reflected in calm water, authentic leadership emerges when we stand steady in who we are and dare to look inward. Clarity, integrity, and presence begin not with action, but with awareness.
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25 Nov

The 10 Executive questions that change everything

Most executive teams don’t fail because of strategy — they fail because of what they avoid. These 10 provoking questions cut through noise, expose blind spots, and accelerate real transformation. They challenge leaders to face the hard truths about their behavior, decisions, and impact. If you want to grow as a leader, start by answering these questions honestly.
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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...
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