If you think you are leading and turn around to see no one following,

then you are just taking a walk.

- Benjamin Hooks

Leadership Coaching

I am an INSEAD Certified Leadership Coach & Mentor with 25 years of entrepreneurial experience in games and the tech industry at large. My mission is to empower professionals to level up their leadership skills so they can facilitate their teams to do their best work.

After more than 1,000 coaching sessions with 40+ clients, patterns emerge and morph into a method. Here’s what that method can do for leaders in a complex and creative environment:

  1. Setting the course: I will help you establish and communicate a clear, inspiring vision and strategic goals to motivate your team and provide them with a clear sense of direction.

  2. Leading teams to do their best work: I will guide you to create an environment where teams can excel, fostering a culture that unlocks productivity and creativity indispensable for exceptional outcomes.

  3. Stakeholder Management: We will spend time and energy on how to navigate complex dynamics and build strong connections with horizontal and vertical stakeholders, fostering collaboration and achieving shared goals across the organisation.

  4. Cutting ribbons and owning crises: I will show you the value of celebrating team milestones and mistakes. I will provide you with the tools needed to navigate crises effectively, inspiring confidence and cultivating a culture of trust and transparency.

I typically hold sessions every two weeks for extended periods of time, with the main focus being on leading teams to do their best work. I find the "5 Dysfunctions of a Team" framework particularly effective in achieving this goal.

We’ll start with fostering trust through vulnerability and creating a psychologically safe environment. Later on, I will typically introduce the concept of Radical Candor to facilitate healthy conflict that paves the way for better-informed decisions and heightened commitment from each team member.

Needless to say, I will adapt my approach to a setting that is as engaging and informative as it is tailored to your unique needs and challenges.

- Erik Goossens

My Core Principles

“It is my purpose to empower professionals to level up their leadership skills. Having navigated the complexities of leading others firsthand, I understand the challenges and demands that leaders face today.

My mission is to equip you with the necessary tools and insights to become a more capable and confident leader, enabling you to guide your teams to do their best work.

With these four principles at the core of my approach, I aim to help you make a lasting impact on those you lead.”

  1. Authentic Desire for Personal Growth: To ensure our collaboration is fruitful, it is crucial that you have a genuine willingness to embark on a journey of personal growth. As a leadership coach, my role is to provide valuable guidance and mentorship to help you develop your leadership skills. It is vital to approach our interactions with an open mindset, ready to embrace new perspectives and implement necessary improvements.

  2. Embracing Radical Candor: I am committed to practicing radical candor in our communication. This means that I will provide you with honest and direct feedback, focusing on what you truly need to hear rather than simply telling you what you want to hear. Constructive criticism and objective insights are essential for personal and professional growth. My aim is to offer candid guidance that helps you overcome challenges, unleash your potential, and achieve your goals. Sometimes my feedback may sound blunt or seem out of context, but it is always delivered with the right intentions. I am constantly learning and improving, striving to provide even better advice in our future interactions.

  3. Prioritising Your Team and Company: While supporting you is my goal, my primary consideration is the long-term best interests of your team(s) and the overall success of your company. My advice and recommendations will always be guided by a focus on what benefits the team and organization as a whole. By aligning our efforts with the larger objectives and goals, we can work towards sustained growth and success.

  4. Proactive Evaluation of Impact: If, at any point, I believe that my role is no longer adding value or is no longer beneficial, I will proactively communicate this to you. While our collaboration may involve moments of reflection and evaluation, it is important to recognize when my presence as a coach no longer has a significant impact.

    This level of transparency ensures that our partnership remains meaningful and productive, and that our focus is always on maximizing the value generated for your company and team.