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...
Read More
17 Dec

Why silence makes better leaders: the neuroscience of stillness

Man meditating is great nature with head with brains projected in the air
In high-pressure leadership environments, silence is often mistaken for indecision. Yet the most important insights rarely emerge in the middle of noise. They surface afterwards, when reaction stops and space is created to think. Drawing from decades of leadership experience and supported by neuroscience, this article explores why silence is not the absence of leadership, but a condition for it....
Read More
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....
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
11 Jul

Finding the coaching in criticism: turning feedback into a growth advantage

Feedback is often misunderstood as something to endure rather than embrace. Yet in my years as an executive and leadership coach, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t come from giving the perfect feedback—it comes from receiving it well. When we move beyond defensiveness and see criticism as potential coaching, feedback turns from a threat into a tool for learning. The...
Read More
10 Jan

Effectiveness of coaching vs a leadership development program

leadership development vs coaching
Effectiveness of Coaching vs Leadership Development Programs. Organizations invest heavily in leadership development, spending up to 5% of annual revenue on training programs, yet only 11% of executives report these initiatives meet expectations. Research shows leadership training can boost job performance by 20%, but challenges remain in achieving sustained results. Leadership coaching, on the other hand, offers a personalized approach,...
Read More