Leadership behaviour - salomons.coach

17 Aug

The Leadership Iceberg

What leaders say and do is only the visible tip of the iceberg. This post explores the assumptions, emotions, values and beliefs beneath leadership behavior, and how coaching helps leaders turn deeper awareness into deliberate communication and lasting change.

07 Aug

The Drama Triangle is Quietly Killing Your Team’s Results

Blame that circles the table, a colleague who "can't," a manager who fixes everything and resents it — the Drama Triangle rarely looks like a crisis, but it stalls decisions and drains your best people. Here's how leaders spot it, step into the Winner's Triangle, and take the wheel.

26 Jun

The Daily Firefight Hijacks Your Leadership, Not Just Your Calendar

Diagram titled 'The Operational Pull' showing an adult at center (A) with a glowing circle, arrows pointing from A to three top categories: 'Mid & long-term goals', 'Developing people', and 'Managing up'. Text 'ADULT' and 'the stance you choose' under A, and 'the daily firefight pulls your stance down' with a downward arrow toward two circles labeled P (Parent) and C (Child) at the bottom, indicating rescue and control dynamics.

Every leader knows the day that vanishes into ad-hoc fires. The real cost isn't lost hours, it's a hijacked stance. A transactional analysis lens on staying strategic, developing people, and managing up when everything is urgent.

19 Apr

How One Person Can Change the World

By salomons.coach
In Blog, Making change stick

How does one person actually change the world? Not through grand gestures, but through shifts in thinking and behavior that ripple outward. This article explores the science behind societal change, from evolutionary psychology to systems thinking. It shows how mental models shape behavior, how small choices scale into cultural shifts, and why institutions tend to follow rather than lead. For leaders, the implication is clear: real change starts with how individuals see their role in the system. When enough people act differently, culture moves—and with it, performance, policy, and outcomes.

22 Feb

AI doesn’t replace leaders. It exposes them.

AI is often framed as a technology challenge. In reality, it is a leadership one. By accelerating speed, increasing transparency, and making decisions comparable, AI exposes how leaders decide, where judgment is avoided, and how accountability is handled. This article explores why AI does not replace leaders, but reveals leadership behaviors that were previously hidden—and why credibility in an AI-driven world depends less on technical expertise and more on explicit judgment and ownership.

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.

05 Dec

Happiness as a Leadership Strategy

By salomons.coach
In Blog, Sustaining performance under pressure, Video

Watching Arthur Brooks’ talk on the science of happiness offers a powerful insight for leaders: happiness isn’t a mood — it’s a disciplined practice that shapes how you lead. Brooks reveals that enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning form the foundation of true well-being, and only a small part of it depends on circumstances. The rest comes from daily habits rooted in relationships, purpose, and service. For leaders, this is transformative: it shifts happiness from a personal luxury to a strategic imperative. When leaders cultivate happiness intentionally, they strengthen resilience, deepen trust, and create the conditions in which teams can thrive.

10 Oct

Leadership is a behavior, not a role

Leadership is not defined by role or hierarchy, it is defined by behavior. After 35 years in global executive roles, I’ve seen the same truth everywhere: when leaders listen, decide, align, and act consistently, organizations perform. When they don’t, culture weakens, collaboration breaks, and operational results decline. Leadership is a daily behavioral practice, and the strongest organizations are led by those who understand this. --- If you want a shorter or more SEO-focused version, I can create that too.

08 Aug

When managers disengage: how leadership apathy fuels team disconnection

After my last post — “Is it time to stay or move on?” — someone asked, “What about disengaged managers?” It’s a fair question — and maybe the real one. Research shows only one in four managers is engaged, and when leaders disconnect, their teams follow. Disengagement often starts when managers stop reflecting on why they lead. Regular reflection isn’t self-indulgent — it’s leadership maintenance. Before judging a team’s motivation, every leader should pause and ask: Am I still connected to my purpose — or is it time to stay, or move on?

16 May

When Habits Take Over: Reclaiming Ownership and Outcomes at Work

The COVID years gave us flexibility — and many teams kept it. Yet what began as empowerment slowly turned into routine. Offices stay quiet midweek, but results don’t automatically follow. The issue isn’t hybrid work itself; it’s the gradual loss of ownership for outcomes. In this blog, Jan Salomons explores how leaders can rebuild clarity, accountability, and rhythm without dictating hours or presence. Using his iterative Way of Working — assignment > diagnostics > co-creation delivery evaluation > hyper care > handover > on-demand support — he shows how organizations can improve productivity, quality, and engagement by focusing on results, not routines.