Bij ELiN Partners geloven we dat sterk leiderschap begint met helderheid. Helderheid over wie je bent, waar je voor staat, en hoe je je organisatie vooruitbeweegt. In onze seri 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.
What is the essence of leadership talent for you, and how do you recognise it immediately?
Talent begins with curiosity. Curiosity about developments, about people, and about possibilities.
Marit herkent talent aan openheid, leergierigheid, het vermogen te reflecteren, en de snelheid waarmee iemand inzicht vertaalt naar verantwoordelijk handelen.
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.
Tegelijkertijd moeten leiders geaard blijven, op de juiste momenten vertragen en dicht bij zichzelf blijven. Veerkracht en aanpassingsvermogen worden essentieel, voor 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?
Perspectief. Het vermogen om zowel successen als leermomenten bewust te vieren. Lichtheid versterkt teamdynamiek en zorgt dat mensen zich gezien voelen. Humor, inclusief
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.
...gaat waarde verloren, voor de klant, het bedrijf en het team. Leiderschap gaat over richting, vertrouwen en verantwoordelijkheid, niet over vinkjes zetten.
Which leadership quality is structurally underestimated?
Vakmanschap. Een diep begrip van het bedrijf en de sector. Niet om te micromanagen, maar om signalen vroeg te herkennen en te vertalen naar strategische beslissingen en groei not said.
Which insight about people do you wish you had understood ten years earlier?
Gedrag gaat zelden over het moment zelf. Het wordt gevormd door ervaring, drijfveren en de context die iemand met zich meedraagt.
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.
Leiders die benaderbaar blijven, dicht bij zichzelf en anderen staan, en beslissingen nemen met klanten en samenleving in gedachten.
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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