"I have gotten to know myself much better."
Bob is a former participant who followed the program in May 2019. He was happy to share his experience.
I am Bob van Pelt, 36 years old, married, and father of two children (14 and 11 years old). I have lived in Rotterdam my whole life and plan to do so for many more years. I have been working as an IT Business Analyst/Consultant for 15 years, primarily in the logistics sector. I am someone who prioritizes achieving results and doing things the right way. I always strive to reach my goals, sometimes losing myself in the process. My family is my top priority, which is also the main reason I chose to participate in this program. I wanted to get to know myself better to become a better person, a better leader, and also a better father.
And what a journey it has been! I had no idea what to expect from the training, so I went in with an open mind and no expectations. During the first session, we had to write down our personal values, and I finished quickly—until Lian Ka asked me: ‘Are these also the values you want to pass on to your children?’ That was a turning point for me. I had always approached everything from my own values and projected them onto others. During the training, I realized that this behavior prevented me from truly connecting with others because I was not open to their values.
During the sessions, but especially during the personal coaching moments, I was able to dive deeper into where this behaviour came from. In the group sessions, you learn a lot from each other through the different backgrounds and ways of thinking. I found the open atmosphere, where everything could be shared, to be very pleasant. It provided space to open up and truly connect with myself, allowing me to get even more out of the training.
The personal coaching sessions were the most valuable to me. In these, you receive full attention. Lian Ka’s sharp analyses and insightful questions really made me think—sometimes she was even able to articulate my thoughts better than I could myself.
I took this three-month period seriously and made the most of it. I can truly say that I have become a better and more relaxed person. My family has noticed this the most, as there is now a much better atmosphere at home. I firmly believe that a leader must first thoroughly understand themselves before they can effectively lead others.
For this reason, I found the structure of the training to be just right. Now that I know myself better and understand what I need to work on, it’s time to put it into practice. The final part of the course focuses on manifestation. I have identified the goals I want to achieve and created a plan to reach them. This even led me to restructure my days to ensure I always maintain the right focus and schedule enough ‘reset’ moments to prevent falling back into old habits.
Now, I mainly want to focus on the manifestation aspect in my work environment. How can I ensure that I make the right connection with others? How can I truly reach people and discover their intrinsic motivation? In my field, I mostly deal with short-term projects with fixed deadlines. This often leaves little room to work on personal goals. I now want to apply all the knowledge I have gained to see how I can still achieve this and ensure that the team always has enough motivation and drive to get the job done.
I would recommend this program to everyone—not only if you want to become a better leader but also if you want to learn more about yourself, such as understanding your own intrinsic motivation. I strongly believe in and have personally experienced what Rebel Leadership promotes: 'Those who want to lead others must first be able to lead themselves.'