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...
Read More
10 Dec

45+ and you need a new job? This is why professionals struggle more than their CV shows

Many professionals over 45 hear the same reassuring phrases when they lose their job—yet the reality they face in the Dutch labour market is far more complex. This article explores why experienced mid-career professionals struggle not because of capability, but because the hiring system interprets their broad value too narrowly. Based on the 4R Model (Reflect–Reset–Re-Align–Rise™) and real client...
Read More
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.
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
24 Oct

PDSA and VUCA: Why Leaders Need Both to Navigate Today’s Reality

In a world defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, leaders can no longer rely on fixed plans or past experience. VUCA describes the challenge — but PDSA provides a practical way to respond through fast learning cycles. My early years as a teacher, working with Kolb’s experiential learning model, taught me that people grow through experimentation, reflection, and...
Read More
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...
Read More
05 Sep

When the lights went out: leading through chaos in a VUCA world

When TNT’s global network went dark during the NotPetya cyberattack, every system failed — but people didn’t. In this story, Jan Salomons shares how leadership, trust, and adaptability kept Europe’s largest logistics network running manually for days. It’s a story of crisis leadership in a VUCA world — where volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity tested every level of society,...
Read More