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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

Why going to the bathroom is good for innovation Often you get the best ideas in the bathroom or in the shower. You can dream away without being disturbed, writes innovation expert Simone van Neerven. But to come up with really good ideas, something else is needed: distraction. ‘Slide to Unlock’ on the first iPhones