Bei ELiN Partners glauben wir, dass starke Führung mit Klarheit beginnt. Klarheit darüber, wer Sie sind, wofür Sie stehen und wie Sie Ihre Organisation voranbringen. In unserer Rei Reflections on Bright Leadership, we invite prominent leaders to reflect on the choices, insights and qualities that shape their leadership.
For this edition, we spoke with Marit van Egmond, former CEO of Albert Heijn. Her reflections highlight a style of leadership rooted in curiosity, craftsmanship and connection.
Was ist für Sie die Essenz von Führungstalent, und woran erkennen Sie es sofort?
Talent begins with curiosity. Curiosity about developments, about people, and about possibilities.
Marit erkennt Talent an Offenheit, Lernbegierde, der Fähigkeit zu reflektieren und der Geschwindigkeit, mit der jemand Einsicht in verantwortungsvolles Handeln übersetzt.
I recognise talent by the curiosity with which someone embraces direction, responsibility and renewal.
Which leadership challenge should leaders truly prepare for in the coming years?
Leaders must prepare for a world in which dynamism and ambiguity are permanent. Technology, globalisation and shifting customer expectations demand faster decisions and sharper priorities.
Gleichzeitig müssen Führungskräfte geerdet bleiben, in den richtigen Momenten verlangsamen und nah bei sich selbst bleiben. Resilienz und Anpassungsfähigkeit werden essenziell, für Orga
What should leaders stop doing because it no longer works in this time?
Leading purely from hierarchy. Complex challenges require the right talents at the table, regardless of job title.
Hierarchy structures an organisation, but talent creates progress. Bringing together diverse talent leads to stronger decisions, more ownership, and greater momentum.
Which leadership decision made you or your team visibly stronger?
Working fully from one shared mission and one focused growth plan, always starting with the customer, elevated the entire organisation.
This clarity created direction. Everyone knew what mattered. And it created space. Teams could accelerate and take responsibility within that framework. Making clear choices also meant choosing what not to pursue. This avoided fragmentation and kept the strategy connected and powerful. Transparent communication, internally and externally, invited everyone to participate and strengthened collective ambition.
Which trait or leadership style in other leaders genuinely gives you energy?
Perspektive. Die Fähigkeit, Erfolge wie Lernmomente bewusst zu feiern. Leichtigkeit stärkt die Teamdynamik und sorgt dafür, dass Menschen sich gesehen fühlen. Humor, auch
Which way of leading costs you energy, and why?
Excessive process steering. Processes support. They should never lead.
If the conclusion becomes:
We followed the system, but we didn't achieve the intention.
...geht Wert verloren, für den Kunden, das Unternehmen und das Team. Führung handelt von Richtung, Vertrauen und Verantwortung, nicht vom Abhaken.
Which leadership quality is structurally underestimated?
Handwerk. Ein tiefes Verständnis von Geschäft und Branche. Nicht um zu mikromanagen, sondern um Signale früh zu erkennen und in strategische Entscheidungen und Wachstum zu übersetzen not said.
Which insight about people do you wish you had understood ten years earlier?
Verhalten handelt selten vom Moment selbst. Es wird geformt durch Erfahrung, Antriebe und den Kontext, den jemand mit sich trägt.
Understanding perspectives creates connection. It brings calm and confidence.
Listening to what is not being said is often the most underestimated skill of strong leaders.
Finally, how do you view the future of leadership?
The future belongs to leaders who bring technology and humanity together. Not as opposites, but as one integrated force.
Führungskräfte, die nahbar bleiben, nah bei sich und anderen stehen und Entscheidungen mit Blick auf Kunden und Gesellschaft treffen.
The leadership of the future is not choosing between technology and humanity, but seeing both as one unified force.
At ELiN Partners, we continue to explore Bright Leadership with leaders who shape the future of their sectors. The next conversation in this series will be published shortly.
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