PLD class: 23
Current Employer: Purpose+
Position: Founder, Partner
Location: Amsterdam
Social Media accounts:
Every leader should possess a blend of three things: oversight, compassion and courage.
1. How has the PLD Program changed you — personally and/or professionally?
PLD has been very valuable for me due to the energetic class discussions, especially those that related to cultural differences and business ethics. The most valuable part, however, was meeting lots of great and likeminded people from all over the planet.
2. What are your chief takeaways from the program?
Consciously take multiple perspectives when tackling a problem (e.g. accounting, legal, ethical), or invite people for problem solve meetings to ‘fill those gaps’ if you can’t. Also: spend a lot of time really understanding the problem before you solve it, and enjoy deep-diving into the puzzle.
3. How do you exert your leadership in the role you have today?
As a leader of small, purpose-driven management consultancy firm my main role is twofold: the strategic focus for our firm (new service lines, partnerships, M&A), and helping my clients as their main point of contact. Given that the field we’re in is partly new, it also involves quite a bit of public speaking/writing to create awareness around current opportunities for organisations.
4. What motivates you most as a leader?
Two things: tangible positive impact and new stuff to learn. The first thing I have tried to embed in the nature of the work in our firm (by accepting only projects that contribute to both purpose and profit goals) so it simply does not elude me.
The second point though — learning — I try to satisfy with a minimum of 1 hour study time daily in the morning. Topics that inspire me can be very broad (lately: corporate strategy, WWI history, physics, latest scientific articles, macroeconomics) and I generally keep a ‘learning log’ with all the notes and plans for learning.
5. Think of a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader — maybe someone who was a mentor to you. Why and how did this person impact your life?
I have had the same ‘mentor’ for the last ~8 years. This person has helped me a lot in different stages: from advising me on the right direction after I graduated, to teaching me the relevant aspects of the job when working together for clients, to advising during M&A decisions in a later stage.
6. What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
I would mention a blend of three things here: oversight, compassion and courage. I don’t think leaders of the future will be defined by their top or bottom line potential; the world has become too complex and interconnected for that. In my view, future leaders will have the oversight to see what’s needed/possible in a complex environment, the heart and compassion to truly care about outcomes, and the courage to make the right decisions for all stakeholders involved.
7. What is the best piece of advice you have been given, and why?
Strange as it may sound, but to ‘just wait a bit and tell people you don’t know yet’. This advice came during a good job opportunity, which would result in me not setting up Purpose+. The advice was powerful since it goes directly against my nature (knowing what to answer, and doing so directly).
8. What is one thing we’d never have guessed about you, even after reading your LinkedIn or Facebook profile?
That I’m quite introverted when I’m not ‘working’. Although the work is highly social and group settings generally make me outgoing, I often refer back to more introverted activities when alone, such as reading, studying, surfing, running…
For me, PLD is mostly about meeting peers that can inspire and challenge one another.
9. What is it the PLD community can do for you or help you with, in terms of your challenges, goals or needs?
For me, PLD is mostly about meeting peers that can inspire and challenge one another, so I would be most served (and willing to return the favor!) with inspirational materials (articles, cases etc.). And of course, I would always jump for any opportunity to help a company to design purpose+profit strategies for long term impact.
10. What is it you can give or how can you contribute to the PLD community? (Think of your skills, knowledge, ideas, initiatives etc.)
First of all — and most importantly — my friendship, meaning that as a PLDer you’re always more than welcome for a beer/drink in Amsterdam at the famous ‘Prinseneiland’.
Second, my consultancy/advisory skills around strategy, human capital and purpose-related dilemmas for organisations. Always happy to think along!
