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.
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20 Feb

Five leadership decisions AI should never make

As AI becomes embedded in organizational decision-making, not all decisions should be automated. Some choices define values, require accountability, and demand human judgment under uncertainty. This article explores five leadership decisions AI should never make—not because AI is incapable, but because leadership legitimacy, responsibility, and trust cannot be delegated to technology.
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14 Feb

Hofstede Explained: What the Six Cultural Dimensions Actually Mean for Leaders

Geert Hofstede spent decades researching one question: do people from different countries think and behave differently in professional contexts in ways that are systematic, measurable, and predictable? His answer — developed through surveys of over 100,000 IBM employees across more than 50 countries — was an unambiguous yes. The result is the most widely cited framework in cross-cultural management research. Six dimensions. Numerical scores for over 90 countries. But knowing the framework exists and knowing how to use it are...
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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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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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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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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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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 adaptation. Decades later, the same learning loop has become essential for leaders: the ability to test, adjust, and learn faster...
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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, organization, and individual behavior. As old hierarchies crumbled, new leaders emerged, purpose became crystal clear, and collaboration turned chaos into...
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