Toxic bosses have highly engaged teams, and people stay longer to work for them. How come? Many organisations understand the importance of engaged employees but are unaware of the paradox that toxic leaders can have a highly motivated team. At least on paper … Humiliating experience In 2008, Apple launched ‘MobileMe’, a new internet service […]
“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
“Yes, but…” in the workplace seems forbidden, but we need more of it Read More »
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
Taylor Swift an innovator? You bet! Here are her 8 leadership lessons Read More »
Oh dear, a super chicken in your team! Now what? Many organisations focus on outcomes but pay little to no attention to how these results are accomplished. To ensure that a team performs at its best, KPIs for mutual collaboration are crucial, writes Simone van Neerven. Throw like a granny In basketball, free throw means
Oh dear, a super chicken in your team! Now what? Read More »
Five things you should never say as a manager (plus better things to say) ‘Don’t bring me problems, give me solutions.’ is a phrase that leaders often say in meetings. A big problem, says innovation expert Simone van Neerven, as with these couple of words, leaders close themselves off for critical signals. And there are
Five things you should never say as a manager (plus better things to say) Read More »
How come you don’t see the solution that’s right in front of you? The solution to most problems already exists and is probably right in front of you, but we just don’t see it. We are too stuck in our thinking, which hinders coming up with creative solutions, sees innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Here
How come you don’t see the solution that’s right in front of you? Read More »
Struggling with change? These 6 steps guarantee success Implementing change in an organisation is difficult. Yet there is an approach that guarantees success, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven: the six-step algorithm of office expert and columnist Japke-d. Bouma. “Just take a break from meetings for a while and see what happens.” Better than Elon
Struggling with change? These 6 steps guarantee success Read More »
Breaking the rules can save lives Rebels are known for colouring outside the lines. They never do this just because, though. Most rebels have a strong moral compass and act accordingly. They don’t break the rules because they want to, but because they feel it is the right thing to do. Deviating from the protocol
Breaking the rules can save lives Read More »
Andre Agassi’s curiosity led to a surprising insight about Boris Becker’s tongue Curious employees are often intrinsically driven to make things better. Even though their actions don’t always seem to lead anywhere, Simone van Neerven illustrates with an anecdote about top tennis player Andre Agassi that it could potentially result in a breakthrough. Boris Becker’s
Andre Agassi’s curiosity led to a surprising insight about Boris Becker’s tongue Read More »
Insecurity is former CEO Feike Sijbesma’s secret to success Being insecure as a leader is often seen as a weakness. Being overconfident, however, will not help you either since it will prevent you from being open to new insights. Feike Sijbesma’s leadership style is impressive and shows how to be insecure yet successful, writes innovation
Insecurity is former CEO Feike Sijbesma’s secret to success Read More »
A rebel in your team? Congratulations! Rebels are a pain in the ass. They keep asking questions, come up with crazy ideas and never go along with the rest. But are they really such troublemakers? Or do they simply have a different view of the world, a good dose of creativity and the courage to
A rebel in your team? Congratulations! Read More »
Rebels are the ‘birds of paradise’ of an organisation Years ago, Nike struggled and almost did not make it. As an emergency measure, they organised a contest and discovered some hidden rebel talent within their own organisation. And that saved them from going under. Organisations need to understand that rebels are not troublemakers, but they
Rebels are the ‘birds of paradise’ of an organisation Read More »
If everyone knows it’s a bad idea, it won’t happen… right? How can a group of people make a decision that every individual disagrees with? This phenomenon is known as the Abilene Paradox. According to innovation expert Simone van Neerven, this can have disastrous consequences, such as the disaster with the space shuttle Challenger in
If everyone knows it’s a bad idea, it won’t happen… right? Read More »
The more dumb ideas, the better When do you come to brilliant insights? If employees are given the space to come up with absurd ideas, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. And it is up to leaders to create the right environment. The makers of South Park show how this is done. South Park thrives
The more dumb ideas, the better Read More »
Are you open to crazy ideas from your employees? An ‘absurd’ idea from an employee can easily lead to a breakthrough for the organisation. At least, as long as leaders are open to it and won’t get in the way. And that takes a lot of courage… Let’s cut off the legs of the table!
Are you open to crazy ideas from your employees? Read More »
Follow your passion? What a nonsense! Following your passion is lousy advice for an entrepreneur, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. The best motivation comes from curiosity; just look at Boyan Slat (The Ocean Cleanup) and Lex Hoefsloot (Lightyear). But even that is not enough to be successful. More plastic in the sea than fish
Follow your passion? What a nonsense! Read More »
Our society converges towards ‘sameness’ and it numbs us White walls, wood, and black steel. We see these design elements everywhere; in homes, workplaces, and coffee shops. That feels comfortable, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. But it also dulls our senses. ‘There are fewer surprises that tickle us and that doesn’t do our creativity
Our society converges towards ‘sameness’ and it numbs us Read More »
Holland’s best innovator? Dutch comedian Theo Maassen! Theo Maassen is praised for hosting Zomergasten, a Dutch prestigious 3-hour interview show. That’s not a surprise for innovation expert Simone van Neerven. The comedian has been reinventing himself for years and – consciously or unconsciously – successfully applies many innovation lessons. Just an excerpt from one of
Holland’s best innovator? Dutch comedian Theo Maassen! Read More »
Today’s true innovators are regenerative farmers Solutions do not always come from technology, says innovation expert Simone van Neerven. In regenerative agriculture, farmers take a step back to learn from nature. ‘Such a holistic approach would also be very useful for organisations.’ Dare to step up The Netherlands cultivates flower bulbs over a total area
Today’s true innovators are regenerative farmers Read More »
Oh my lord! I am a rebel. Now what? As a rebel, you have unique qualities that you can use to help your team or organisation. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven lists five. Plus what to do if nobody is listening to you. Lots of people identify as a rebel, but feel they cannot show
Oh my lord! I am a rebel. Now what? Read More »
Why won’t managers listen to their employees? Organizations that listen to their employees perform better. Yet many managers ignore good ideas from their employees. Why is that, wonders innovation expert Simone van Neerven? “They often take criticism too personally and believe their abilities are being questioned.” Being silenced Sandra Palmen works as a top lawyer
Why won’t managers listen to their employees? Read More »
Man U soccer coach Erik ten Hag knows why some teams buzz with energy and others don’t Building a well-functioning coalition is difficult with super chickens in your team. Manchester United soccer coach Erik ten Hag understood this very well, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. He asked star player Ronaldo to leave, and now,
Man U soccer coach Erik ten Hag knows why some teams buzz with energy and others don’t Read More »
Seven excuses from people who don’t want to change (and how to deal with it) Pioneering is fun, but can also be exhausting if you run into obstacles all the time. Innovation expert Simone van Neerven lists seven excuses from people who don’t want to change. Including tips on how to handle each situation. A
Seven excuses from people who don’t want to change (and how to deal with it) Read More »
One of the most fatal mistakes is loving your solution too much BlackBerry was so focused on its own success that the threat of the iPhone was ignored. Therein lies a lesson for entrepreneurs, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Every now and then you have to take a step back and observe. And then
One of the most fatal mistakes is loving your solution too much Read More »
Rebellion leads to magical results What do Spider-Man, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Ikea have in common? They almost didn’t exist, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. Fortunately, the inventors were rebellious go-getters. ‘Groundbreaking innovations often require a healthy dose of courage.’ Bohemian Rhapsody broke all the rules When Freddy Mercury proudly presented Bohemian Rhapsody to his
Rebellion leads to magical results Read More »
