'It has opened new doors for me.'
Matthijs participated in the program in May 2019. He was happy to share his experience.
"I am Matthijs Agricola, 32 years old, and I live in Amsterdam. My background is in Aerospace Engineering, a very challenging study that is focused on results. Although it has been a while since I studied, the challenging nature still suits me well. Besides looking for challenges, humor also plays a big role in my life, and I would describe myself as a creative and enthusiastic person.
In my current role as Market & Strategy Manager Europe at Versum, I work with many different people, generations, and cultures. The demanding and complex nature of our industry also requires a lot of collaboration across different disciplines. We can only be successful if we work together as a true team and rely on each other. Discussing and sensing what is important to others is therefore crucial."
I see further developing my soft skills as the way to make more impact. My work is increasingly shifting from doing substantive tasks myself to helping teams be able to do them. Understanding and inspiring the people around you is crucial when working in larger teams. Working on these skills independently is challenging. You need a mirror; how do you come across, what do others think of your way of communicating? That's why I have committed to taking training courses on improving soft skills every 1 to 2 years.
What attracted me to Rebel Leadership is that it felt deeper than other training programs. I believe that leadership starts with yourself—what is important to you, and from which values do you view the world? In addition, it felt personal; tailored to your needs because of the combination with individual coaching. That turned out to be true; there was plenty of time to focus on what is important to you. The program brought something different for everyone in our group.
For me, the highlights of the training were the individual coaching by Lian Ka & Arnout, the combination of physical & mental aspects, and the diversity & connection within the group. In addition to the coaching providing space to focus on my specific areas of development, it also brought me deep, new insights. Lian Ka has the ability to make very accurate personal observations, which later turned out to be the foundation for further developing my leadership style. It truly opened new doors for me. The structure of the program allowed me to let those insights sink in and then build on them further.
The physical element was very powerful. The exercises we did were mainly aimed at connecting rational thinking with the body. It was interesting to feel what these different techniques could do to my awareness and presence.
What I did not expect was how valuable the group would be. From the very first moment, a lot of openness was created. This made it possible for everyone to share their motivations in an authentic way, which was very important to me. The diversity of people led to valuable conversations and insights. Everyone held similar positions, but with completely different backgrounds and approaches. Understanding their motivations, and hearing how people perceive you, was incredibly valuable. Moreover, it provided a good reflection of the diversity of people within my own organization.
In the Rebel Leadership program, I gained several deep insights about myself that I can continue to work with. I have acquired new tools for my ‘inspiration palette’—new ways to connect with people. Finally, I received several practical tips for my case that I can apply to make an immediate impact.
All in all, this program has truly helped me take another step forward; and I dare to say that this is the best soft skills program I have followed so far. Highly recommended!"