{"id":54493,"date":"2026-08-22T17:28:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T15:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turner.nl\/uncategorized\/save-the-race\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T17:28:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T15:28:57","slug":"save-the-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turner.nl\/en\/blog-en\/save-the-race\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cSave the race!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Column by Peter de Bruin<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cSave the race!\u201d<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What do you do with a Top 20 leadership program if the chairperson is \u201ctoo busy\u201d to participate? What interventions are most likely to rescue a leader from his or her rat race? Find out in this new column by Peter de Bruin. Rat Race Rescue! <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The executive board chooses to implement a leadership development program for the top 20. However, it then turns out that the chairman of the executive board excludes himself from the program. Too busy\u2026 :). What\u2019s also striking is that his colleagues don\u2019t insist that he participate. That speaks volumes. It says it all. Alarm bells ringing! <\/p>

Too busy. In my practice, I often see executives blinded by hard work. Here\u2019s a snapshot: day and night, with blinders on. Unstoppable. Everything else takes a back seat. An iron will. Discipline. It\u2019s not their fault. Demanding of themselves and others. As a result, they dictate their views. Their standards are what count. Intellectually gifted. And with an excellent memory\u2014they remember everything. Where you went on vacation, how your parents are doing\u2026. Buuuuut\u2026\u2026, they don\u2019t really connect with you. <\/p>

This type of leader talks about culture and teams without putting themselves out there. They focus on the content. All meetings, town halls, and reports are prepared down to the last detail. Nothing is left to chance, and there\u2019s certainly no improvisation. This type of leader avoids the unexpected and is reluctant to step outside their comfort zone. After a presentation, there are no questions from the floor\u2014they move right on. With what \u201cexcuse\u201d? Busy, busy, busy\u2014the work won\u2019t wait. <\/p>

Their environment adapts; it\u2019s actually compliant. They experience discomfort from the discrepancy between what they hear and what they feel. But they\u2019re powerless to do anything about it; cognitively, they\u2019re often at a disadvantage. And in terms of energy and sacrifice as well. At the same time, there\u2019s a sense of admiration: \u201cThat\u2019s pretty impressive,\u201d \u201cHow does he remember all that?\u201d <\/p>

On balance, there are few followers, but plenty of people who just go along with things. They have to, rather than want to. They work around it. Despite it all. Talented but uncaring\u2014not even toward themselves. When successful, this pattern persists. Fully immersed in the rat race. <\/p>

So much for this type. Mind you, there\u2019s nothing wrong with hard work, an entrepreneurial drive, or a passionate mission. What matters, however, is whether the motive is sound. If \u201csaving the world\u201d is a euphemism for running away from something painful, it all falls flat. Then it doesn\u2019t resonate with others\u2014something that\u2019s quite important for a leader. Addicted to the pain of an overloaded schedule, because that pain is easier to bear than the pain of personal growth. Success both legitimizes and reinforces that. <\/p>

Personal growth requires self-reflection and introspection. It\u2019s no picnic, but it\u2019s an absolute necessity that, unfortunately, many people avoid. Hard work very often masks underlying pain and trauma. So we end up in a rat race with blinders on. I know this from my own experience, too. <\/p>

Can leaders like this be saved, and should we even want to? Yes, because they destroy more (culture) than they realize. But it\u2019s not easy. The only thing that really stands a chance is to repeatedly, after every meeting, say, \u201cI understand what you mean, but you\u2019re not getting through to me.\u201d And make it clear that you can\u2019t do without it. <\/p>

First and foremost, the leader will \u201ccalculate\u201d which arguments he can use to keep you in the job\u2014or, conversely, to replace you. But if you act collectively with your coworkers, the danger of ever being left to fend for yourself will sink in pretty quickly. That\u2019s their biggest nightmare. \u201cYou can\u2019t touch me\u201d will start to gnaw at them. Hopefully, it will trigger a minor crisis that their family or close circle can step in to resolve. That\u2019s the beginning of the rescue. Otherwise, it\u2019s just a matter of time before a major disaster occurs and their blinders finally come off. <\/p>

Saving someone takes courage, but it has to be done. If you save someone from the rat race, you\u2019re helping all of us. Start a \u201csave-the-race\u201d campaign!!!! <\/p>

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P.S.: Thanks to \u201cSave the Race,\u201d the leader in question has been included in the leadership program. Our message was: \u201cOur mission is clear, but you\u2019re not inspiring us. We can\u2019t convey that feeling this way. As our figurehead, we need you to lead the way. If that doesn\u2019t work, we\u2019d be better off walking away before we even start.\u201d <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Meet the Author<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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