Transformational Leadership | Transformation Architect | Keynote Speaker | Best-Selling Author
I believe transformation is the #1 capability we need to thrive in an uncertain world, yet it is also one of the most difficult to master.
My work on transformational leadership is built around five core ideas:
• Being is always becoming. Transformation is continuous, not a project.
• Transformation comes full circle: ME > WE > ALL OF US. It starts with ourselves, expands to the organisations we lead and ultimately affects society and the planet.
• Organisations need an X-ray before they determine the cure. Too often, organisations tend to solve surface issues or apply the wrong cure to the wrong problem. A deeper diagnosis is needed to uncover and address the root cause.
• Transformation is context-specific. What is under-active? What is actually needed? What is overactive? What should we start, strengthen, continue, reduce or stop?
• You cannot transform what you cannot see. Our level of awareness determines what we are capable of transforming.
These ideas underpin StepWise®, my whole-system transformation architecture, and my work with leaders, organisations and boards.
My trilogy follows the same expanding circle:
The Naked Leader : Self Transformation = ME
Business As UNusual : Business Transformation = WE
Not My Problem? : Sustainable Transformation = ALL OF US
Over the past 25+ years, I've experienced transformation from multiple perspectives: leading and consulting on business and technology transformation within multinational organisations, developing leaders and teams across countries and cultures, and researching and writing about why transformation succeeds or fails.
As a Dutchman living in Asia for 13+ years, I bring together Western and Eastern leadership perspectives to develop a more holistic and international approach to transformation.
I help leaders and organisations determine what they really need to transform, see what they may not yet see, and turn that awareness into meaningful and lasting change. My work has taken me to more than 30 countries and includes organisations such as HSBC, Shell and Coca-Cola.
Contact me for a conversation about transformation.
#orbis #transformation #stepwise #transformationalleadership #thenakedleader #businessasunusual #notmyproblem
Available For: Consulting, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Speaking Topics: Transformational Leadership, Self Transformation, Business Transformation, Sustainable Transformation
| Dennis Akkerman MBA | Points |
|---|---|
| Academic | 0 |
| Author | 183 |
| Influencer | 152 |
| Speaker | 10 |
| Entrepreneur | 20 |
| Total | 365 |
Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.
Digital Transformation - what's in it for your business?
Tags: Digital Transformation, Leadership, Transformation
Tags: Business Strategy, Change Management, Leadership
Not My Problem? - Why sustainability is too expensive to ignore
Tags: Leadership, Sustainability, Transformation
Business As UNusual - next-level transformation guide for uncertain times
Tags: Business Strategy, Leadership, Transformation
The Naked Leader
Tags: Change Management, Coaching, Leadership
Orbis Business School
Tags: Coaching, Leadership, Transformation
Ethics at scale: transforming mindsets and behaviours for sustainable value creation
Tags: Risk Management, Sustainability, Transformation
Governance, the cornerstone of sustainability
Tags: Leadership, Sustainability, Transformation
Tags: Coaching, Leadership, Transformation
Date : September 30, 2026
Who Are You Under Pressure - And Is That the Real You?
We often hear: “You see someone’s true colours when they’re under pressure.”
I disagree.
Pressure doesn’t reveal your true self. It reveals your conditioning.
Under stress, cognition narrows.
You default to protective habits and automatic responses.
But that’s not who you are at a deeper level.
Assessments like Hogan rightly point out that derailers emerge under strain. That’s useful. But being predictable under stress doesn’t automatically mean being authentic.
If anything, pressure amplifies the parts of you that haven’t yet been examined.
I’m way more interested in what happens when fear drops and awareness rises. It will give you the capacity to consciously choose a response.
That’s where real transformation happens.
Not “Who are you when triggered?”
But “Who are you when fully conscious?”
To me, that’s much closer to the truth.
This fundamental question sits at the heart of my book 'The Naked Leader' and the work I do with leaders and entrepreneurs.
It starts with building inner clarity before gaining outer clarity.
Tags: Leadership, Transformation
Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers Convention
Location: Pullman Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Date : May 16, 2023 - May 17, 2023 Organizer: MAPS
Governance, the cornerstone of sustainabilityNot My Problem? - Why sustainability is too expensive to ignoreEthics at scale: transforming mindsets and behaviours for sustainable value creationWho Are You Under Pressure - And Is That the Real You?
