Interviews

Marilieke Engbers is on a mission. The leadership expert wants to open the black box of boardrooms, to show how blind spots and unspoken thoughts lead to problems. 'A lot remains unsaid at meetings, but directors and supervisors are often not aware of that.'

The more room there is for different visions, the better the decisions of administrators, says economist Marilieke Engbers. This is important in a time when the issues facing politics, business and the public sector are becoming increasingly complex. Author Kustaw Bessems December 30, 2021

The Silent Killer of CEOs: The Unsaid in the Boardroom What is said out loud in the boardroom is important. What is not said is also important, but its impact is severely underestimated. What often kills CEOs is the unsaid. 'Even when it is for an innocent reason, it can have major consequences.'

'The essence of my work is to investigate blind spots. I see myself as a governance activist, who is busy kicking against existing assumptions, kicking compassionately, because the system in the governance world has to change.'

VU Magazine: According to VU economist Marilieke Engbers, there is much more to decision-making in large boardrooms than can be read in the transcripts of meetings. "Much remains unsaid."

What is needed when the human is put central? What is not said? What are the dilemmas of the employee, the manager, of the system?

The Dutch may have a reputation for being blunt and direct, but in the meantime they leave much unsaid because they cannot deal with conflict. While conflict is the key to good governance, says researcher, advisor and author Marilieke Engbers. Connecting? Fine, but don't avoid tensions, she warns. Because dealing with a conflict together is the recipe for trust. 'Everyone is always talking about connecting,' sighs Marilieke at the kitchen table in her home in the heart of Amsterdam.

With the increasing complexity of organizations and their environment, the demands placed on the CFO are increasing. An important shift for the CFO is that he must use financial and non-financial results to balance 'looking forward' with 'looking back'. This requires the CFO to increasingly, together with the CEO, consider the question of how the organization's strategy can be realized. https://cfo.nl/artikel/column-marilieke-engbers-de-cfo-heeft-cruciale-rol-in-het-worden-van-lerende-organisatie

She would like to increase the 'counterforce' in the Netherlands. Whether it concerns the board of directors of a listed company or the supervisory board of a large educational institution: supervisors often seem to think and suspect all sorts of things, but often do not openly express that doubt or criticism at the time or in the place that is meant for it. https://files.cdn-files-a.com/uploads/4124171/normal_62cec0406606b.pdf

The Dutch may have a reputation for being blunt and direct, but in the meantime they leave much unsaid because they cannot deal with conflict. While conflict is the key to good governance, says researcher, advisor and author Marilieke Engbers. Connect? Fine, but don't avoid tensions, she warns. Because dealing with a conflict together is the recipe for trust.