Kristof De Maeyer learned to lead by working with the undercurrents of a fast-growing SME. It is a familiar tension for every SME leader with growth ambitions: you can feel that the organization needs clear strategic direction, yet before you finish your first cup of coffee, you are already knee-deep in operational issues again. When an internal problem is about to blow up, a project seems to be going off track or a client sends out an SOS, the instinct is almost always the s

What are you still holding onto that has already served its purpose? In October, nature lets go. Leaves change color and fall. What emerged in spring and grew throughout summer slowly begins to break down. We call this decay. But in nature, decay is not failure. The leaves that fall to the ground become nourishment for what will grow again later. What disappears is not simply gone. It changes form and takes on a different role within the whole. Nature seems to understand some

He built an international software company from scratch, growing it to 47 employees and $4 million in recurring revenue. Then he sold it. Along the way, he discovered that entrepreneurship takes more than a great product and a solid business model. This is Jonathan van Driessen’s story. About the myth of the predictable formula, the loneliness of leadership and what remains when you can finally stop driving everything forward. It all started by chance. Jonathan van Driessen b

Summer has a different rhythm. The urgency softens. Meetings slow down. For many leaders, it is one of the few moments in the year where there is enough space to step back and see the bigger picture. Recently, the world said goodbye to David Hockney, one of the most influential artists of our time. Throughout his life, he returned to the same landscapes, trees and changing light. Not because nothing changed. Because everything changes. His work reminds us of something many le

How Laura found a different way of leading From the outside, Laura Kunnen’s career looked like a success story. She was preparing for a management buy-out and a future CEO role at a growing international logistics company. The path ahead seemed clear. But internally, something no longer fully aligned. “I felt I needed support to stay connected to myself throughout the process,” Laura explains. “I was operating in a very rational, performance-driven environment. Over time, I s

There is something paradoxical about June. The days are long. Energy rises. In organizations, it often feels as though everyone wants one final push before summer. Deadlines need to be met. Projects are wrapped up quickly. The accelerator gets pressed one last time. And that is precisely why June is also an important month for leadership. Because while the outside world speeds up, something else often begins to happen internally: fatigue, fragmentation, a system that is still

May is a particular kind of month. Past the early days, not yet a full harvest. A space in between, where you can start to see what is taking shape. Organizations know this phase too. Initiatives begin to form, ideas come alive, movement builds. It often feels like progress. And at the same time, this is also where a quieter challenge appears. Not everything that grows deserves your attention. The misconception of growth Many leaders respond to growth by doing more. As if eve

Bart Vanhalle (49) was balancing two large, successful careers. His schedule was overloaded, and the question that brought him to coaching was clear: do I have to choose? What followed with Debbie Baute was not a simple time management course, but a deep, holistic journey back to himself. Bart, a fast thinker whose neurodivergent mind is constantly in motion, felt the connection with Debbie immediately. He was looking for a coach for his work, but found a facilitator for an i