Unbossers Podcast (Nick the Unbosser)

In this episode we dissect whether leadership is overvalued? Are management schools and transformation consultants too much focused on the managers? Learn from Jos de Blok why this is a problem. It’s bad for for business, and for manager's themselves, he claims. 

Jos is the founder and CEO of Buurtzorg (neighborhood nursing), a Dutch organization with more than 10.000 employees, offering community based (home) care services to more than 70.000 patients a year. 

In this episode, we are blessed to talk with NK Chaudhary. Learn how he grew  a business with two looms and nine artisans in 1978 to a global social enterprise exporting to over 60 countries while providing sustainable livelihood to 40,000 artisans in 600 remote villages across five states in India, out of which 80% of them are women. 

In this episode, we talk with Olga Potaptseva,  named amongst the Top 150 CX Professionals globally she invented the Agile CX Implementation Toolkit and is the Founding Director of European Customer Consultancy.  We talk about what exactly makes a great customer experience? 

We dissect the advice process, the most agile, inclusive, and collaborative decision-making process in business. This is the audio recording of the first episode of Unbossers Toolbox, our Youtube spin-off of this Unbossers Podcast. 

In this episode, I talk with Bruno Sirletti, Fujitsu VP Cloud & Digital Business Western Europe. He's actually doing the radical transformation at Fujitsu and we discuss the day-to-day operational challenges and results that come with it. 

Learn more about Fujitsu's transformation and also listen to my conversation with Joao Domingos. He's Bruno's boss. We looked at their challenges more from a strategic perspective. 

In this episode, I have a conversation with award-winning consulting pharmacist Steven Adjei who has worked with Britain’s NHS and several pharmacy multiples in England and Africa about WAR and how it can trigger radical social innovation. 

This episode is an audio recording of our Unbossers Toolbox Youtube Show in which we dissect the Triangle of Trust. It's a super simple and effective tool to understand trust,  to facilitate though conversations and help each other improve in acting out trusted relationships.

In this episode I talk to New York Times–bestselling author Daniel Pink about the transforming power of our most misunderstood yet potentially most valuable emotion: regret.  Or in other words, how looking backwards moves us forward.

In this episode we learn from Viisi co-founder Tom van der Lubbe how they became  Netherland's best employer 4 time in a row and one of the best places to work in Europe applying the ancient wisdom of self-organization. 

Viisi is an expert in housing and mortgage advice. They want to realize dreams in a sustainable financial world. They do so by investing in lasting relationships and products that create freedom of choice, consciousness and transparency.

In this episode, we get world-class insights on inclusive, participatory and responsive decision-making processes and technology from Wietse Van Ransbeeck, co-founder of Citizenlab, the number one online community engagement platform for local governments.

Wietse is an impact entrepreneur, recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe leader, and determined to rebuild our (digital) democracies from the bottom-up. 

400+ local governments trust CitizenLab with their community engagement project. They’ve supported 15,000+ Projects across all policy domains: from urban planning and climate action to mobility and participatory budgeting.

This episode is a conversation with Nico Moleman, founder & ceo of the steward-owned organization BuurtzorgT. They are active in psychiatric care and offer care at home instead of admissions for people with severe psychiatric disorders. They are proving in the field this prevents powerlessness and increases the chances of recovery at home.

Nico and I zoom in: 

• The first chaotic two years of the journey to self-management
• Why and how they had to adapt the Buurtzorg framework for self-management
• Why they made BuurtzorgT a steward owned company which is a legal structure that makes the people in the company owner of the company
• But also very operational stuff like how the planning process in a self-managing care organization works

In this episode, we're joined by Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst, co-founders of WorkStyleRevolution.com and Hoxby. They share their insights on how work styles are evolving, and discuss the future of work in the context of changing technology and societal trends. Tune in to learn more about their innovative approach to helping individuals and organizations thrive in the modern workplace.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of being joined by Delia Mensitieri, a distinguished clinical psychologist and a leading expert in the realm of diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Join us as we delve into insightful discussions on fostering a more inclusive and diverse work environment. You'll gain valuable perspectives and learn how to create a truly equitable and empowering space for all. 

In this episode, we explain why we created the Unbossers Network, how you can leverage the collective power of this network for the value and the benefit of your people and your organization. 

In this episode, we delve into the extraordinary story of how a single LinkedIn post paved the way for raising 2 million euros and the establishment of a transparent booking platform poised to challenge the dubious practices prevalent in the realm of booking.com.

Links mentioned during the conversation 

• Steward-ownership Patagonia:
  https://medium.com/@purpose_network/the-patagonia-structure-in-the-context-of-steward-ownership-e9db3d260dc6
• Niels Blog about Steward Ownership (dutch)
  https://www.deondernemer.nl/blog/steward-ownership-is-voor-ondernemers-die-meer-willen-doen-dan-alleen-geld-verdienen-voor-aandeelhouders~08eda50
• Book 'Companies of the future' (dutch)
  https://www.managementboek.nl/boek/9789047017226/toekomstbedrijven-gijsbert-koren`
• Documentary on Steward Ownership (Dutch)
  https://www.vpro.nl/programmas/tegenlicht/kijk/afleveringen/2019-2020/goed-geld-verdienen.html

For the past ten years Stuart has been working with investment and legal firms on a new framework for sustainable Total Stakeholder Value creation. In this episode, we discuss  Responsible Capitalism and the relation between tangible business value outcomes like PnL  or shareholder value and investments in well-being, environment, safety, trust, diversity, etc. 

In this episode, we're inspired by the journey of Beetroot, a Swedish-Ukrainian company founded by students Andreas Flodström and Gustav Henman in 2012. From a humble backpack startup, Beetroot grew into a global tech ecosystem, all while staying true to its roots as a social enterprise. But their story doesn't end there. Amidst conflict in their homeland, Beetroot rose to the challenge, showcasing resilience, compassion, and innovation. 

In this episode, we delve into a compelling conversation with Klaas Ariaans, the Director of Consumer Clients at ABN AMRO. At the helm of the 3.500 employee office organization within the bank, Klaas oversees a division undergoing rapid evolution. He spearheaded two pivotal transformations: firstly, through Personal Banking, digital interactions have taken on a deeply personalized dimension. Secondly,  we've eliminated management by an astonishing 95%, ushering in a new era of self-organization. Join us as we distill lessons from six years of digital and cultural metamorphosis into a captivating 45-minute dialogue.

This episode is a thought-provoking discussion with Olga Potaptseva, CCXP, CCX and Nick Van Langendonck. They dive into effective communication strategies, the flipped pyramid concept, and the sacrifices required to become customer-centric. 

This episode is a short introduction to Unbossers Network Program Y 2025. 

This episode is a short introduction to Unbossers Network Program Y 2025. 

Women in Europe earn, on average, 13% less than men. This has been the case for years, and it’s not improving. That’s why Europe is coming up with rules on salary transparency. As an hr professional, how do you put ESG rules into practice soon? Large companies will already have to report on employee wages starting next year. SMEs will follow in 2027. Find out during this online webinar cohosted with experts from Teal Partners and SD Worx.

What would it take to revolutionize the traditional retail industry and make it truly sustainable? Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Tuomo, the visionary Finnish entrepreneur behind Twice Commerce, as we explore the intricate world of circular commerce. Discover how Twice Commerce breaks away from the conventional e-commerce mold by offering specialized inventory management and order fulfillment processes tailored for second-hand, rented, and refurbished items. Tuomo explains the critical shift needed to address environmental issues like the wasteful destruction of returned goods and how his platform provides a robust infrastructure for businesses committed to sustainable practices.

We unpack the strategic and economic benefits of adopting circular business models, focusing on how reselling, renting, and refurbishing products can significantly boost profit margins. We navigate through the complexities of building versus buying infrastructure and highlight how existing platforms like Shopify might still play a role. Listen to our engaging discussion on the creation of new specialized jobs in inspection, refurbishment, and repair work, countering the potential job losses often associated with reduced production. Real-world examples from the electronics industry and European policy initiatives underscore the potential for creating a more skilled and valuable workforce while benefiting the environment.

In our final segment, we turn our attention to the trends and examples driving the circular economy, drawing insights from the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) and spotlighting successful ventures like Swappie and IKEA’s take-back programs. Tuomo also introduces us to Twice Market, a groundbreaking initiative designed to unlock the dormant value of unused household goods. We explore the future of ownership and leasing, delving into the potential challenges and opportunities this paradigm shift presents. Join us for a thought-provoking episode that challenges conventional wisdom and paints a vivid picture of a sustainable future through circular commerce.

Discover how the latest ESG regulations are transforming HR practices and learn the secrets to staying compliant in our summer webinar series. We kick off with an eye-opening discussion featuring Isabel from Teal Partners and Lara Mona from SDWorks. They share their insights on the rigorous expectations from regulators concerning pay transparency, gender gaps, and bonus justifications. Get an inside look at Yugo, the groundbreaking software introduced by Isabel, designed to simplify HR processes in a landscape dominated by ESG mandates.

Our conversation then shifts to the technological tools that can help your company navigate these new regulations seamlessly. Lara Mona outlines the compliance timelines for upcoming European ESG regulations and emphasizes the importance of a robust reward strategy. You'll learn actionable steps for developing a strategic reward policy that aligns with the salary transparency directive, ensuring your company stays ahead of the curve. The focus is on making complex processes like annual pay gap reporting and salary information dissemination both manageable and efficient.

Experience the practical benefits of Yugo in our detailed demo session, where we showcase how this innovative tool can streamline bonus and merit processes. We highlight Yugo's capabilities in maintaining job titling consistency, reducing manual errors, and decentralizing decision-making to enhance efficiency. The episode concludes with a compelling overview of how Yugo enhances ESG reporting by tracking budget allocations, monitoring pay gaps, and facilitating transparent employee communication. Whether you're an HR professional or a corporate leader, this episode offers invaluable insights into leveraging technology to meet ESG requirements and foster a fair workplace.

Ever wondered what happens when a top consultant from Accenture shifts gears to steer Bosch Power Tools through a transformative Agile journey? This episode is your chance to discover the fascinating career of Jochen, who traded in his 12-year tenure at Accenture for a pivotal role in revolutionizing a 20,000-strong division of Bosch. Jochen shares his motivations behind this significant career move and offers a peek into his current sabbatical pursuits. 

What does true leadership look like in the world of Agile transformations? Jochen provides an insightful answer, emphasizing that it all starts with self-belief and personal accountability. Listen as he recounts a pivotal moment from his career leading a multicultural, multinational team, where bringing everyone together physically fostered essential trust and empathy. We dive deep into the common misconceptions surrounding Agile methodologies in large corporations, highlighting the crucial elements for successful implementation.

Agile practices are often shrouded in buzzwords and complex frameworks, but Jochen cuts through the noise to emphasize their core philosophy: adaptability and iterative processes. Trust, transparency, and cross-functionality are the cornerstones of creating human-centered organizations capable of extraordinary results. Hear about the challenges and rewards of challenging the status quo in business practices, and how prioritizing people within organizations leads to transformative outcomes. As we wrap up, we share our excitement for future collaborations and thank our listeners for their engagement in this enlightening discussion.

Ever wondered how a childhood memory can shape your career? Join us as Fabrice, co-founder of Teodo, shares a fascinating story from his youth—a car fire that ignited his passion for tech reliability. 30 years later Fabrice is the co-founder of Teodo a tech consultancy powerhouse with 700 employees doing groundbreaking work in the energy sector and beyond, including their successful development of TF1's - French Television - streaming platform.

Get ready to uncover the transformative principles of Agile and Lean Thinking that revolutionized software development and manufacturing. Fabrice and I trace these methodologies back to their origins, emphasizing their humanist vision that empowers teams to innovate and enhance efficiency. We highlight the shift from traditional waterfall methods to Agile's customer-centric approach, enriched by Lean's intelligent waste reduction. Hear stories of triumph and pitfalls and learn how these principles drive value creation through real-world examples.

Scaling agile practices is no small feat. We explore the complexities of implementing methodologies like Scrum across large organizations and how Amazon’s restructuring played a pivotal role in minimizing dependencies. Fabrice shares insights into maintaining agile's essence as companies expand, focusing on customer value and lean thinking to foster a responsive learning environment. Discover how reducing interdependencies can unleash growth potential, and why cultural shifts that view problems as opportunities are crucial for building a resilient, innovative organization.

Florian Lesch, the former CIO of Lufthansa CityLine, explains you the why, how and what of transforming the ICT department into an Agile Island within the corporate Lufthansa. His story shows you  do not need a mandate to start working in an unbossed way. Just do it. 

Ank is the Co-Founder & CEO at Absolem. She embodies the vast richness and potential of femininity in business. Learn from here how to become a vulnerable and compassionate leader. 

Paul Van Schaik explains how Dutch Railways managed to break through the performance ceiling in recent years with a completely new way of working. A holistic approach in which the employees are central and in which they found it was much less about the why of the change and more about the people who together bring about the change.

Ravi Rao makes a scientific case for human connectedness to grow earnings and the economy. In a calm and almost soothing way Ravi helps us apply the latest insights in how the brain and human beings are wired onto work and organizations. 

 Leadership isn't about you. It's about how effective you are at empowering other people and making sure this impact endures even in your absence. Frances and Anne argue that the popular leadership advice glosses over the most important thing you do as a leader is wrong. 

How he deals with people who resist change? And how to keep the crucial employees? 

Dennis Teichmann, Chairman of Jacando, was nominated by Analytics Insight as one of the 40 Innovators of the Year 2019. His company Jacando is revolutionizing HR for SME's with digital solutions in the field of recruitment and talent management. 

Find out what happened when Captain David Marquet, leader in the most regulated, risk- and innovation averse context imaginable - a US Navy Nuclear Submarine - trained for years by the US Army stopped giving orders. 

Dr. Manas Fuloria is the CEO of Nagarro, a global digital engineering leader. Nagarro has 10.000 people working in small two-pizza teams with hardly any hierarchy on top. 

We talk about:

1. the why and how of their unique culture and structure. 
2. How does Manas see his role as CEO? 
3. How does this way of working fit into the specific regulations of stock exchanges? 
4. What are the advantages of this structure in acquisitions and why is data and technology crucial? 
5. These and many other practical questions are answered by one of the most successful unbossed leaders in the world.

Learn everything about the employee of the future: the passionate explorer. Those who want to have meaning-full impact in a specific area, those who see unexpected challenges as opportunities for having impact and those who connect with others to have more impact, faster. 

In John's study a staggering 86% of the US Workforce doesn't identify themselves at work with this definition. So yeah, John, Thomas and myself talk about what we can do to change this.

Julie takes us on an insightful journey on what power is, how it’s gained and lost, and how it can be used for good. This episode will make you rethink some of our most basic assumptions about influence. 

Learn from the transformation of the Vietnamese-French company Officience, guided by Frederic Laloux himself, from a typical command-and-control organization to an unbossed organization with clusters, self-organized salary processes and liquified internal communication. CEO Duc also explains in detail how he developed from a traditional CEO to an unbossed leader. 

Maura delivers us the perfect playbook on how to build - and sustain! - the Unbossed Team of the future. Maura is a force of nature and owner of international recruitment agency STAFF Europe Recruitment & Consulting specialized in Executive Search.  

Nina is a biomedical engineer currently working as eHealth projects director at the French Ministry of Health. She's also the driving source behind "Open Opal", the French community for Teal Organization. 

The three main topics we discuss are: 

1. concrete examples of unbossing in heavy regulated healthcare businesses. 
2. What is a company purpose, and is the purpose owned by the leader? 
3. Can every organization evolve and how do you start?

Fujitsu Europe is experimenting with the micro-enterprise concept in spring 2020 inspired by Haier's Rendanheyi Model. One year later, results look promising—employees are more engaged, customers more satisfied, and business results have skyrocketed. 

This conversation with Joao Domingos is one of the most practical how-to unboss episodes so far. What you will learn:

1. Why did they choose for the Rendanheyi principles? 
2. Where did they start? 
3. How did Joao's role as "middle manager" in a global organization change? 
4. How important is it to get support from your N+1? 
5. Where are they now in the journey?
6. What are the differences between leading a micro-enterprise organization and a traditional organization?
7. What about internal departments like Finance and HR? 
8. How did organization structures and renumeration systems change? And much more!

Jean Francois Zobrist became managing director of FAVI, a metalworking company in Hallencourt, northern France, in 1983. He opted for a radically different approach with massive success. In this conversation we discuss the 4 main changes he made in the organization:1. Employees do not work by the hour, nor for a salary. They work for the love of the customer. 2. Switch from forecast and control to trust.3. Structure the organization into micro-enterprises.4. Install relative objectives, in stead of numerical, at micro-enterprise level.

Kurt and Julia, both Professor in Strategic Management, talk about how smart companies are opening up strategic initiatives to involve front-line employees, experts, suppliers, customers, entrepreneurs, and even competitors. In other words: strategy ideation, - formulation and - execution the unbossed way!

An exclusive look into the amazing transformation journey of the Haier Corporation. Willian (Bill) Fisher and shows how managerial accountability and responsibility have been repositioned at every level of the organization, with the core value of market-centricity, while aligning strategy on each level of management. 

Bill is a Professor at IMD, in Lausanne, Switzerland, where among other interests he specializes in the art and practice of successful innovation, and the effective expression of talent. He co-founded the IMD partnership program on Driving Strategic Innovation, in cooperation with the Sloan School of Management at MIT. He was on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for twenty years, moved to China in 1980, and was the President and Dean of the China Europe International Business School [CEIBS] in Shanghai in 1998-1999. He has received awards for teaching, case-writing and research, and in 2008 he received the Imagination Lab Foundation Award for Innovative Scholarship for his writing and teaching on emerging markets. In 2011, the UK newspaper The Independent" named Bill “one of the most influential business tweeters”; and in 2012, InnovationExcellence.com named him one of its “Top 50 Innovation Tweeters,” while InnovationManagement.com's included him among their 40 top innovation bloggers.

Find answers to the most fundamental questions about organizations: why do they exist? how do they function? how can they innovate? 

Andreas Holmer is a designer, reader, and writer. Occasional speaker. CEO at MAQE in Bangkok, Thailand.(http://www.maqe.com). He is just like myself a seeker of truth, mental models, and better ways of working. He's on a mission to (literally) change how the world works.Make sure to check out his amazingly inspiring newsletter "work matters" on Medium: https://medium.com/workmatters

Kevin Nolan is CEO at GE Appliances, a 100-year-old billion-dollar company, with close to 15.000 employees, present in more than 50% of US homes and acquired by Haier in 2016. 

We explore the company’s adoption of the Rendanheyi business philosophy with its challenges and the outstanding results it allowed General Electric Appliances to reach, with the best year ever during Covid-19 times. In only four years, GE Appliances underwent a massive transformation taking inspiration from a model they were initially unaware of, not even knowing how to pronounce its name.

Joe Justice "the guy who introduced Agile at Tesla". Learn from detailed insides into how Tesla is blowing away customers and competitors with unprecedented speed. Tesla is not just innovating cars. The transformed the he way they work. Still baffled by how extreme they are in their pursuit of their mission.

Podcast host Nick the Unbosser introduces himself and talks about his purpose in life. 

Your target is to establish trustful open-feedback culture within your team? Listen to Filip De Pooter, who’s achieving this by being true to himself and using smart tools. 

You have organized your project state -of-the-art, all lights are on green, and still nothing moves forward? Listen to the fascinating story of Robert Harms, who experienced this situation building a new production plant at Siemens and solved it brilliantly: by giving back freedom and motivation to his team! Robert is co-founder of NextGenerationWorkx and 5thIndustry.

Professor Gary Hamel shares his thoughts on innovation, scaling creativity and so much more. Gary Hamel is on the faculty of the London Business School and is a cofounder of the Management Lab, an organization that builds technology and tools to support breakthrough management innovation. He's hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the world's most influential business thinker. 

Michele talks about whether most CEOs "get Humanocracy", the biggest pitfalls and where and how to start the journey. Michele Zanini is a cofounder of the Management Lab, where he helps large organizations become more adaptable, innovative and engaging places to work. Zanini is an alumnus of McKinsey & Company and the RAND Corporation, and holds degrees from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Pardee RAND Graduate School. In this episode, 

Everyone wanting to attract and keep top talent should listen to Laura Haleydt’s story! She left a promising corporate career to build a successful social media consulting business in record time. Which factors are giving her the energy and joy to achieve these stunning results? 

Thijs explains how their customer centric strategy is delivering huge success in a commodity market and why an unbossed organisation is the only way to make this strategy work.

How is it to work as an Executive at Amazon? Peter explains the magic of the Amazon Leadership principles and how Amazon drives innovation. 

Steven Baert, former Chief People Officer Novartis Group, shares with us inspiring insights and based practices into the fascinating global unbossing journey of Novartis. 

Get inspired by Bruce's vision on how we can (1) re-imagine our workplace and people ecosystem, (2) reinvent how we collaborate, innovate, make decisions, develop ourselves and colleagues and (3) make change and transition more fun & light. 

Learn from Jacob  how the future technology landscape in unbossed organizations will look like.  Jacob Botter is the co-author of the book UNBOSS, released in 2014 and one of the triggers for this podcast.  

Learn how to cultivate curiosity in your organization from the founder of the Global Curiosity Institute and former celebrated global Chief Learning Officer at Cognizant. 

We look back with top CEO Wouter Torfs on the strange year 2020.  He talks openly about dealing with the pandemic, what they did good and what they could have done better. 

Wouter is famous for his entrepreneurial and people vision which resulted in this unique corporate culture. The family-owned Schoenen Torfs chain was voted Best Employer in Belgium for the 10th time as well as Best Employer in Europe. 

Jennifer is an executive on a mission to drive team cohesion, collaboration and performance. Learn from her how to use improv comedy techniques to accomplish amazing team success.

Paul's insights on self-awareness, purpose, decision-making and driving change in a 15.000 employee organization are pure gold. Paul Van Oyen became CEO of Etex on 1 January 2015, yet he prefers the term "becoming the ceo" referring to his infinite journey to becoming the best leader he can be. This is truly a masterclass in humble and contextual leadership. 

For everyone who truly and for once and for all wants to understand what Agile and Scrum is actually all about. Who better to enlighten us than Scrum Caretaker Gunther Verheyen, a Belgium Scrum expert and former long time partner of Ken Schwaber, co-inventor of Scrum, at Scrum.org.

Karin Van Roy, Chief Human Ressources at the 120 year old Arvesta shares her experiences and best practices in strategy, culture and execution!