Author: Danielle IJkema
Over the years, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern — in my own work and in the leaders I work with.
People are capable and committed, yet feel under pressure and stuck in firefighting. I have been there myself.
In complex environments, this often happens when leaders lose orientation. Not because they are doing the wrong things, but because the context has become complex and unclear.
For me, leadership starts with creating space to think.
Space to:
🔹reflect on yourself as a leader
🔹understand the wider system
🔹accept not knowing
🔹stay curious before deciding
When leaders and teams regain orientation, conversations calm down, decisions improve, and teams work more sustainably.
This aligns with my purpose: helping leaders make sense of themselves and their context, so they can adapt their leadership to what the situation really needs.
Together with Helmut Leitner, we recently wrote an article about how decision-making has changed and why leadership in complex environments requires different capabilities.
These insights are also the foundation of the HELIBLICK Leadership Program, which we developed to support leaders in building self-awareness, system awareness, and adaptive leadership capacity.
More information about the program, launching March’26:
👉 https://lnkd.in/eVcKE-77
If you’re curious about the program or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
And as the year comes to an end, many of us naturally take a step back — making it a good moment to create space for reflection.
May you find time to slow down, create space to think, and start the new year with renewed perspective.
Happy holidays 🌿