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...
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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...
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31 Oct

When teams work hard but not together

Most teams don’t fail because they don’t work hard — they fail because they work too fast, too isolated, and without reflection. When every team focuses on solving its own problems, sub-optimization becomes inevitable. Each quick fix triggers side effects elsewhere, creating a vicious cycle of ad-hoc problem-solving that drains energy and weakens performance. Research on High-Performing Teams shows that real...
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17 Oct

The wheel of work life: A powerful lens for understanding your well-being at work

The Wheel of Work Life is a powerful framework that reveals what truly shapes your well-being at work. By exploring eight essential dimensions — from psychological safety and leadership to autonomy, workload, recognition, growth, collaboration, and recovery — you gain a holistic view of what energizes you and what drains you. This model helps individuals and teams understand their...
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01 Aug

When fear rules….. silence takes over: rebuilding trust and connection at work

Fear can quietly take over organizations — through silence, control, and pressure — until trust disappears and performance collapses. In this article, Jan Salomons explores how fear-based leadership emerges and what leaders can do to reverse it. He shares five practical ways to rebuild trust, including how to reframe control, invite openness, and restore team rhythm. In a VUCA...
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03 Jan

Creating a safe and speak-up culture in teams

group of people having a critical conversation with each other
Creating an environment of psychological safety is vital for team trust and collaboration. Leaders can achieve this by modeling vulnerability, encouraging inclusive participation, establishing clear communication norms, implementing structured reflection, providing support, and monitoring team dynamics. Key strategies include sharing personal mistakes, seeking feedback, promoting open dialogue, valuing diverse perspectives, setting respectful interaction expectations, conducting regular debriefs, offering training,...
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29 Nov

Crying with Wolves: How Leaders Can Break Free from the Negativity Trap

wolves crying on mountain in front of trees
Negativity can quietly erode team morale, productivity, and even a leader’s confidence. In this post, I share the story of Nathalie, an operations manager trapped in a cycle of workplace stress and unproductive venting—both in her team meetings and personal life. Together, we explored the psychological roots of negativity, its contagious effects, and strategies to break free. From reframing...
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