"The young man who has drunk for the first time from that spring is as happy as if he had found a treasure of wisdom; he is positively enraptured. He will pick up any discourse, draw all its ideas together to make them into one, then take them apart and pull them to pieces. He will first puzzle himself, then also others, badger whoever comes near him, young and old, sparing not even his parents, nor anyone willing to listen..."
- Plato, in a description of Socrates’ students in his Philebus
The rapture of which the above quotation speaks has carried me away on a long and winding path. From a student of international business, wondering whether that lucrative job was going to bring him happiness, to a young entrepreneur inquiring into what the real meaning of value is – and how you 'add value'. These two questions guide me in the development of myself, of Realize! and of the organizations I work with.
At present, this work consists of exploring and realizing new forms of collaborating and organizing. Forms that yield a higher return on the input of passion and potential. Because from my perspective, that is the spring from which Plato saw the young man drinking: the in-sight into his own creative potential. After finishing my studies in 2006 with a thesis about this subject, I now work to develop organizations that create value for all those involved, including clients, employees, partners and the larger societal ecosystem of which they are a part.
In more conventional terms, I work in change management, the formation of alliances and the development of leadership, of teams and of organizations. Much of my time is spent collaborating with experienced professionals and I continually strive to hone my own craft further. Building on my capacity for seeing both the essence and the bigger picture, I rely on my sixth sense for language to put them into words. Other things which are of value to me, in no particular order: authentic relationships, Shaolin kungfu, a sense of humour, Elke, silence, good conversations, music and inspiring individuals.
