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4 simple questions that will make any team more creative In 2023, the Barbie movie soared to box office success, despite nearly being rejected by management. There are lessons to be learned from this story about encouraging creative thinking, says innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Four simple questions can free your team from mediocrity –

One simple question can prevent opportunism from having a devastating domino effect When millions of vultures vanished in India, a 32 billion euro economic disaster followed and hundreds of thousands of people died. We see the same fatal error that caused this disaster daily in Dutch boardrooms, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Disastrous health

8 impossible types at work and their priceless value (you’ll only see it when you get it – johan cruijff) We all know them: that one colleague who says ‘yes, but’ to everything, or that know-it-all who always wants to be right. Annoying? Definitely. But these ‘difficult’ types can be indispensable to your team, writes

Beware of the autopilot: What every manager can learn from crashed flight AF447 Philips was once the world champion in consumer electronics until the company started to drift off. This ‘complacency effect’ caused Air France flight 447 to crash and bank ING to receive a mega fine. ‘Unfortunately, managers all too often have the idea

Why do we stick to one rule while happily breaking another? Rules provide structure, safety and clarity. Yet, sometimes people choose to break them out of conviction or necessity, or simply because the rules seem nonsensical. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven wonders what drives us to follow one rule but ignore another. Crime scene investigation

The coolest entrepreneur in the Netherlands? Surprisingly, almost nobody knows her She saved Jewish people in hiding, refused to work for the Nazis and was way ahead of her time with personnel policy. Yet Lili Bleeker ended up in an unmarked grave, writes columnist Simone van Neerven. This is the extraordinary story of a brilliant

Watch out if you are ahead of the pack… Dutch climate professor and frontrunner Jan Rotmans almost lost his job twice Innovation in organisations often comes with lots of resistance. The story of Dutch Climate professor Jan Rotmans, who almost got fired for his groundbreaking climate model, shows this. But his perseverance ultimately led to

The fatbike problems drag on, but no one takes responsibility: ‘Where are the rebels?’ The fatbike: hated by some, a status symbol for others. According to innovation expert Simone van Neerven, the (often tuned) electric bikes also symbolise something else. ‘The fatbike is exemplary of how we deal with pressing problems. Thinking in impossibilities and

The magic of innovation is totally underestimated, and that is why it fails so often During the Olympic Games in 1968, Dick Fosbury surprised the world with a completely new style for the high jump, which revolutionised the sport. That ‘Fosbury Flop’ is often used as an example of successful innovation, but some crucial success

Everybody seems to love AI, but no one talks about the high price we pay for it There is too little attention to the dark sides of AI, according to innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Technology determines what we see, do, and how we feel. We get out of touch with our bodies, and we

You face a devilish dilemma; stick to your ideals or let them go? Making choices is rarely easy, especially when ideals and interests clash. Austrian climate minister Leonore Gewessler risked her career for the nature restoration law, while natural winemaker Frank Cornelissen risked his reputation to save his company. Two stories about courage, pragmatism and

“Yes, but…” in the workplace seems forbidden, but we need more of it When United Airlines staff followed the rules too rigidly, they ended up with a bloodied passenger and significant reputational damage for the airline. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven advocates to stop covering all possible scenarios in procedures and let people think for

Taylor Swift an innovator? You bet! Here are her 8 leadership lessons This week marks the release of Taylor Swift’s eleventh album. The American singer has become a worldwide pop sensation. Her stormy path to success contains many lessons for business leaders. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven lists eight. Follow your heart In 2023, Taylor