Why True Leadership Starts With You — A Must-Read by Klaas Dijkhoff
What does leadership look like in turbulent times? And who should show it? In a recent article titled “Awaken, Underdefended!” in Het Financieele Dagblad (the Financial Times of the Netherlands), Klaas Dijkhoff, a scholar and former Dutch minister, challenges the idea that leadership comes from the top. Instead, he argues, it starts when ordinary people — like executives and engineers who read eeNews Europe — take risks and act on what society needs most.
Rather than waiting for a politician or a Steve Jobs type of visionary to lead, Dijkhoff reminds us that leadership is something each of us can demonstrate. Real change — whether in the energy transition or social innovation — almost always begins with entrepreneurs, scientists, activists, and citizens. Politics and institutions follow only after individuals have laid the groundwork.
“Leadership rarely comes from the top,” Dijkhoff noted. “It arises where people stand up and take risks. Historians later craft a tidy story around it and often point to one person—usually a white man—as the leader of the entire movement. That’s how we create the misconception that this person set everything in motion.”
Dijkhoff’s article offers an inspiring message for the engineers, executives, and innovators who read eeNews Europe. If you’ve hesitated to launch an idea because it wasn’t perfect — or doubted whether you could make a difference — Dijkhoff’s argument is for you. Leadership isn’t about perfect plans or waiting for permission: it’s about acting, testing, and improving on the go.
“Leadership requires launching imperfect ideas. As my colleague Tom De Bruyne says: ‘If you’re not still a little embarrassed about what you’re putting out there, you’ve sat on it too long.’ So accept that it will draw criticism, and use that to improve the idea. Encourage others, inspired by your idea, to come up with a better one — and embrace that.”
Breakthroughs happen in labs, start-ups, and community projects — not parliaments. Your ideas and collaborations shape the future. If you want a fresh perspective on leading in uncertain times — and why it starts with you — we highly recommend reading Klaas Dijkhoff’s article. Read the full article here. When you are done, let us know what you think via email. We welcome your questions and insights.
Klaas Dijkhoff (Source: A. Oomen , Rijksoverheid.nl)
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