‘Muslim phobia, police harassment − and the top looks away’. That was the rather confrontational headline above a recent article in the Dutch newspaper NRC, in which Carel Boers makes some revelations about discrimination, sexual intimidation and other unacceptable and deviant behaviour within the police organisation. Here is a telling quote: ‘Muslim police officers have a hard time of it. It is very common for a police officer to say, ‘You are a Moroccan and so I will never trust you.’  This kind of discrimination is very overt and below the belt and is a consequence of non-corrective behaviour by chiefs of police. The extreme-right character of these kinds of expressions is not in line with the neutral attitude the police must have.’

Recently I read Jeroen Smit's new book, Het grote gevecht (‘The Big Fight’). The title speaks volumes, because it is a good example of what happens when a CEO no longer listens to his immediate surroundings and what impact this has on mutual relationships. If you isolate yourself as a CEO, are no longer open to the opinions of others and continue to proclaim your own ‘gospel’ with a blind, burning desire, you will become detached from your organization and your organization from you. A purpose resonates only from an inclusive context and this requires a deep understanding of existing relationships. This is the essence of inclusion.