Sprankelende stilte (‘Sparkling silence’)

In business life, we discern an increasing personal pressure, which seems to become rather inhuman. It is about time to break up this unhealthy work spiral by introducing silence and stillness as a quality concept.

A growing number of entrepreneurs is looking for other, more personal forms of leadership. The development of an authentic form of leadership begins with reserving time for the silence that give access to our deepest inner life and those of others. Thus, there emerges a form of leadership that is rather serving than steering, and is able to guide employees with inspiration. Silence and depth will result in more effective working methods, in achieving more by doing less. In the past, spiritual leadership and secular leadership were closely interwoven, but through the ages this unity has been lost. Brigitte van Baren explains why and how these two kinds of leadership actually belong together. Much attention is paid to inner stillness, interpersonal attuning, handling dilemmas and conflicts, and how to use them in daily practice and at work.

Her personal vision is complemented and put into perspective by five interviews, where Coen Abbenhuis, Jan-Willem van der Braak, Cees Brederveld, Karel Noordzij and Lizelotte Smits tell how they realized, as managers, to connect their inner world and business life.