Leadership
What is leadership? One means of approaching this question is by noting that leadership is without doubt the most discussed boardroom topic. By far. Everyone has an opinion about their own ‘boss’ and almost as often about – in gaming terminology – the ‘final boss’ : the managing director, or, in a corporate, an executive from the C-suite: a COO, CDO, CIO, CFO, CRO, or ultimately the CEO: the chief executive officer.
In such a conversation about the boss, it is usually about the many facets of leadership. What characteristics make a leader a good leader, a strong and powerful leader, or a mediocre or even arrogant boss? he following assessment is usually made: what is she/he good at, and what is she/he not good at? Many leaders clearly have weak points, but if the strong points sides are strong enough, people will still support ‘their’ leader. At least, that is what psychologists and leadership coaches claim.
Business programmes and management book classicsYou can practice becoming a better leader. Every self-respecting business school and university develops programmes, and hundreds of books and thousands of other publications have been published with the aim of improving leadership skills: by changing or mitigating the weak points and developing the strong ones. These publications are often eagerly sought after. The classic The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by the American author Stephen Covey has sold more than 25 million copies in 40 languages. The audio version has sold 1.5 million copies. It is no coincidence that this book is a source of inspiration for many leaders. Leadership is also a major theme for Management Scope. Indeed, Management Scope focuses primarily on the CEOs of Dutch corporate companies and on their stakeholders: those who are in direct contact with the CEO, the C-suite. These include members of the executive committee (the ExCo) but also, for example, a company secretary, the members of the supervisory board or a chief sustainability officer. Increasingly, executives are specialists who occupy themselves with one facet of management. Several authors focus on executive education and on the psychological side of leadership. And on what is known as the ‘boardroom dynamics’: how do you create an efficient leadership team – one in which bodies such as the executive board, executive committee (ExCo) and supervisory board function well and also cooperate well?
Diversity in the boardroomLeadership also shows clear developments. For example, diversity in executive and supervisory boards has been a major theme in recent decades. For some 20 years now, women have been steadily taking up more prominent positions in boardrooms. Management Scope, too, is committed to diversity. Every year Management Scope publishes the Top 100 Corporate Women in the Netherlands, inter alia. The female role models in Dutch management are put in the spotlight through this list. Another theme is inclusion. How do you ensure that in the top of the organization – as well as in the layers below – there is room for the opinions and thoughts of bicultural and other cultural leaders? Incidentally, this development is absolutely vital. As Dutch society has embraced more and more nationalities and cultures, consumer behaviour is also changing. Companies can hardly get a grip on these social trends unless they themselves embrace different leadership: in other words, inclusion.
Transformational and responsible leadershipLast but not least, the rise of transformational leadership and responsible leadership in the boardroom should be mentioned. The rapid developments surrounding the digital transformation mean that many companies are having to innovate at an ever-increasing pace and even transform their entire business model. Hence: transformational leadership. What leader has the qualities to really take his team on a journey, where existing rules are set aside and innovation is embraced? Change is difficult for everyone. A good leader must not only be able to ‘jump over his own shadow’ but must also be able to do so on behalf of the entire team, undoubtedly assisted by an expert HR department. Workforce management – what kind of people do I have, and what are they capable of, also on a human level? – is becoming increasingly important. Responsible leadership is perhaps the most remarkable trend. Stakeholders increasingly expect companies and other organizations to know and measure their impact on society and even to have a clear purpose, a right to exist. There is no time to waste for the leaders of our corporates.
Jan Rotmans: 'Without Faith in Progress, It Will Not Work'
Stronger leadership, increased decisiveness and a green industrial policy are what Jan Rotmans, professor of transition studies, believes to be essential to achieve the ESG goals. He finds the current polarization around this theme lethal. ‘We need to get rid of enemyism. Changes of course need to happen faster and smarter, but without the commitment of big companies, the sustainable transition is doomed to failure.’
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The Swiss Firmenich was Dimitri de Vreeze’s very first client at the former DSM. The merger of the two companies completes the circle for the CEO of what is now dsm-firmenich. We are in conversation about the merger, De Vreezes own transformation as a leader, clear choices as the basis for strategic success and the belief that one should always question assumptions. ‘Firmenich was right at the top of my list. But to be honest: I had crossed it out. A family business? No chance.’
‘The tour through nine countries accelerated my onboarding,’ says Alex Holt about her first hundred days as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) at Ahold Delhaize.
Dimitri de Vreeze (dsm-firmenich): ‘Blindly accepting assumptions is the biggest mistake you can make’
The Swiss Firmenich was Dimitri de Vreeze’s very first client at the former DSM. The merger of the two companies completes the circle for the CEO of what is now dsm-firmenich. We are in conversation about the merger, De Vreezes own transformation as a leader, clear choices as the basis for strategic success and the belief that one should always question assumptions. ‘Firmenich was right at the top of my list. But to be honest: I had crossed it out. A family business? No chance.’
The first 100 days as CSO of Ahold Delhaize
‘The tour through nine countries accelerated my onboarding,’ says Alex Holt about her first hundred days as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) at Ahold Delhaize.
What should and can companies do now to ensure they are still doing 'the right thing' in five to ten years? Heijmans CEO Ton Hillen puts it this way: 'We are giving it our all.' In its strategy, the construction company formulates bold statements to support the sustainable transition. 'They are so ambitious that we realize we may not achieve all of them, but only with truly bold goals do you motivate people to action.'
What actions should leaders take now to be confident in a decade that they made the right choices? Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse from A&O Shearman set out to explore this question for Management Scope with shareholders, employees, and employers. In this final interview of a series centered on reflection, they speak with Jumbo CEO Ton van Veen. ‘I make my decisions carefully, with a well-calibrated compass. There is not much more you can do. But I suspect the conclusion later might well be that I should have done things differently.’
As President Europe of Royal FrieslandCampina, Dustin Woodward sees himself as the link between where the group is today and where it wants to go. Woodward wants to succeed commercially but also to contribute to the climate transition of dairy farms. ‘It is important to constantly return to the question of why we do the things we do. That gives meaning to our activities.’
Ton Hillen (Heijmans): 'Rather overly Bold than Feeble Goals'
What should and can companies do now to ensure they are still doing 'the right thing' in five to ten years? Heijmans CEO Ton Hillen puts it this way: 'We are giving it our all.' In its strategy, the construction company formulates bold statements to support the sustainable transition. 'They are so ambitious that we realize we may not achieve all of them, but only with truly bold goals do you motivate people to action.'
Ton van Veen (Jumbo): ‘Making the Best Decision with the Knowledge at Hand’
What actions should leaders take now to be confident in a decade that they made the right choices? Hilde van der Baan and Gijs Linse from A&O Shearman set out to explore this question for Management Scope with shareholders, employees, and employers. In this final interview of a series centered on reflection, they speak with Jumbo CEO Ton van Veen. ‘I make my decisions carefully, with a well-calibrated compass. There is not much more you can do. But I suspect the conclusion later might well be that I should have done things differently.’
Dustin Woodward (FrieslandCampina): 'Focus on things that truly make a difference'
As President Europe of Royal FrieslandCampina, Dustin Woodward sees himself as the link between where the group is today and where it wants to go. Woodward wants to succeed commercially but also to contribute to the climate transition of dairy farms. ‘It is important to constantly return to the question of why we do the things we do. That gives meaning to our activities.’
Annette Mosman (APG Group): ‘Diverse Leadership Is Not Just Nice to Have, It Is Essential’
APG CEO Annette Mosman advocates for a women’s quota on executive boards. She believes it leads to better results, addresses bias in appointments, and is important at APG – especially with the transition to the new pension system. ‘In the new system, women will be more vulnerable to career interruptions. The pension gap will not automatically make it onto the agenda if the profiles of all decision-makers are similar in gender, background, and life experience.’
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Farewell Interview Martin van den Brink and Peter Wennink: ‘ASML Remains a Very Dutch Company’
The legendary leaders of semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML, are retiring. A very good reason to engage in an exclusive conversation with the co-presidents Martin van den Brink and Peter Wennink on everything that contributed to their evolution into a global player.
Carsten Bittner (ABN Amro): ‘Do As The Dutch Do’
The German CI&TO (Chief Information and Technology officer) of ABN AMRO needs to take cognizance of the differences between the Dutch and German cultures. His observation is that these are not that significant. ‘Nuances do exist, of course, and, as a director, it is important to take heed of these.’
Resi Becker (Essent): 'I Find the Combination Between Executive and Supervisory Board Stimulating'
Employee Well-being begins with Leader Well-being
Marc van den Tweel (NOC*NSF): ‘Bottom line is the will to Excel’
Michael Reiziger (Jong Oranje): ‘Put the Team First, not Yourself’
An Lommers (ASML): ‘Fortunately, I have not lost the ability to question myself’
Jeroen Smit on Fear and Courage
Pinar Abay (ING): ‘My Appointment Was a Bold Move for the Bank’
The German CI&TO (Chief Information and Technology officer) of ABN AMRO needs to take cognizance of the differences between the Dutch and German cultures. His observation is that these are not that significant. ‘Nuances do exist, of course, and, as a director, it is important to take heed of these.’
Karin Bergstein’s analytical approach as executive director now aids her well as a supervisory director. Strategy is a significant indicator of the quality of management. ‘I want to know where the cause of problems lies. Those are the interesting conversations.’
Carsten Bittner (ABN Amro): ‘Do As The Dutch Do’
The German CI&TO (Chief Information and Technology officer) of ABN AMRO needs to take cognizance of the differences between the Dutch and German cultures. His observation is that these are not that significant. ‘Nuances do exist, of course, and, as a director, it is important to take heed of these.’
Karin Bergstein: ‘Test Not Only the Strategy, but Also the Execution’
Karin Bergstein’s analytical approach as executive director now aids her well as a supervisory director. Strategy is a significant indicator of the quality of management. ‘I want to know where the cause of problems lies. Those are the interesting conversations.’
Frans Woelders (Danske Bank): ‘GenAI is Going to Change Banking’
Jeroen Smit on Really Listening and Thinking Slow
The Sense (and Nonsense) of Female Leadership Programs
The First 100 Days as Chief Sustainability Officer at FrieslandCampina
Nadine Beister: ‘Moving From Good to Great With New Leadership Principles’
