Grotius Leadership Institute

Grotius recently concluded the third and final module of our Grotius Leadership Course at the Brainport Industries Campus, completing the journey of its first batch of participants. The last module focused on Self-Giving, the pinnacle of leadership built upon self-knowledge and self-integration. The Chairman of Stichting Grotius, Oliver Tuazon, led the session composed of a workshop (a dialogue on friendship, where the participants worked together in pairs) and two talks (one on self-giving, and a concluding talk on the Grotius brand of leadership). We discussed how true leadership is rooted in selflessness, the importance of building authentic relationships, and genuinely serving others. Participants engaged in dialogues exploring how self-giving enables leaders to move beyond self-interest, touching on Aristotle's classifications of friendship and the relevance of ongoing personal development. With the completion of the course, the participants are now eligible to be appointed as project managers, team members or be part of the staff of Grotius. A special thanks to Larno Visser for heading the event, Yaskawa Benelux for sponsoring the venue and Robin Maximus for handling logistical concerns. Their support was instrumental in making the GLC a success! We're excited to announce that we're looking forward to offering the GLC to various companies. It is well-suited for corporate environments seeking to cultivate principled leadership. For more details, please contact Larno Visser. Questions about our upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus. #Leadership #Virtue #SelfGiving #GLC #Grotius #Yaskawa #PersonalGrowth

On October 11, Grotius held the second module of the Grotius Leadership Course (GLC) at the Brainport Industries Campus, continuing the journey with the same dedicated group from our first session. In this module on Self-Integration, the chairman of Stichting Grotius, Oliver Tuazon, guided us through the process of developing a solid character shaped by virtues. We explored how self-integration involves mastering our inclinations and tendencies—our temperaments—achieving unity in all aspects of life as we live the virtues: personal, familial, professional, spiritual, social, etc. Participants engaged in workshops and group discussions, delving into the interplay between values and virtues. We examined how aligning one’s intellect, will, and emotions contributes to better moral responsibility. The session also explained the development of a virtuous lifestyle flowing from one’s character and is perceived by others (our reputation). The setting allowed for personalized interactions, enabling everyone to share insights and reflect deeply on their personal growth as leaders. The evening concluded with a lively borrel, sponsored by Yaskawa Benelux, where conversations continued. We're excited to move forward to the final module, continuing our commitment to virtue-based leadership. Questions about our upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus. For GLC matters, contact Larno Visser. #Leadership #Virtue #SelfIntegration #PersonalGrowth #GLC #Grotius #Yaskawa

Last October 4, Grotius officially launched the Grotius Leadership Course (GLC) at the Brainport Industries Campus with Oliver Tuazon, Chairman of Stichting Grotius, leading the first of three insightful evenings. This foundational course revolves around three essential marks of leadership (given in three modules): self-knowledge, self-integration, and self-giving. In this first module, Oliver delivered an engaging talk on Self-Knowledge, exploring the importance of understanding your own temperaments and recognizing that you are a unity of body and soul. He explained that clarity about who you are is crucial to both your personal and professional success. It is as old as the Delphic oracle, “Know thyself”. The participants took part in a workshop on knowing their respective temperaments, diving deeper into recognizing their natural tendencies, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as learning how to grow and improve as individuals and leaders flowing from this self-knowledge. A key takeaway from the session was how self-knowledge enables authentic leadership, helping leaders tailor their approach to better connect with and lead their teams. The event offered an intimate, personal experience, providing each participant with the tools they need to begin their leadership journey. This first installment of GLC was limited to a select group of participants, some of whom are future project managers of Grotius. The event was organized by Larno Visser, with the assistance of Robin Maximus. The venue and borrel were sponsored by Yaskawa Benelux. Questions about upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus. #Leadership #Virtue #SelfKnowledge #PersonalGrowth #Brainport #Yaskawa

Last Friday, we had John Poel, Commercial Director of Vitelco veal (PALI Group) as our guest speaker in Grotius LITE to share his insights on "Leadership in a Changing World." John, with 22 years of corporate experience and a deep passion for the meat industry, delivered a compelling talk on the differences between leading in a family business versus a corporate environment. Also present during the event were the CEO of the PALI Group Martijn Paridaans and other family members connected to PALI Group. John discussed the types of goals leaders should aim for, what truly makes a leader, and shared valuable "tips and tricks" from his extensive career. John's practical and passionate approach to leadership struck a chord with the 50 attendees. It led to engaging discussions that continued during the borrel. The borrel, sponsored by the PALI Group, was particularly lively, with John and other executives of the PALI Group in attendance. The informal setting allowed participants to connect personally with these business leaders, contributing to an interactive and memorable evening. This event was hosted by Jesse Poel. Questions about upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus. #Leadership #Virtue #FamilyBusiness #CorporateLeadership #PALIGroup #Networking

Last May, we had the pleasure of hosting Hans Togtema, the Founder and CEO of Collect + Go for Grotius LITE at his office in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Hans, an innovator and entrepreneur, has been building and growing his own software company for the past nine years. He delivered an engaging talk on "Entrepreneurship in Practice." Hans shared invaluable leadership lessons from his journey of starting and scaling up a business. He explored the differences in leadership styles, the role of passion in driving success, and the practical realities of entrepreneurship. His insights were particularly interesting for those considering their own entrepreneurial paths. The event, hosted by Jesse Poel, saw around 40 participants, who were well engaged throughout the session. The discussions extended to the borrel, where Hans joined us for some informal conversations and answered more questions from the participants. Grotius LITE continues to provide a unique space where learning from accomplished leaders combines with a good opportunity to build meaningful relationships among fellow students and young professionals. Questions about upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus. #Leadership #Virtue #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #ECMR

Despite it being King’s Day in the Netherlands, around 40 dedicated young men attended the Grotius LITE event last April 27 with the President & CEO of DAF Trucks NV, Mr. Harald Seidel. Harald’s talk revolved around “Human-Centric Leadership” and its role in building a successful team. He discussed the meaning of human excellence as an essential trait of a leader and delved into four key aspects of human-centric leadership: creating trust within a diverse team, finding meaning and purpose, developing the individual members of the team, and demonstrating empathy as a leader. The open forum sparked a lot of engaging discussions, which continued into the borrel where Harald joined the participants and answered more questions in a more relaxed setting. This event was hosted by Robin Maximus and sponsored by Yaskawa Benelux at the Brainport Industries Campus. Grotius LITE continues to be a place where virtuous leadership insights meet personal connections. Questions about upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus. #Leadership #Virtue #Team #DAF #Yaskawa #Kingsday #BIC

Last March, Grotius LITE was held at De Raadskelder in ‘s-Hertogenbosch with a special guest, Mr. Ed van de Weerd He is the CEO (Benelux) and Commercial Director (Global) AS Watson. In the Netherlands and its environs, the most famous company of A.S. Watson is Kruidvat. A.S. Watson is also a market leader in health and beauty products with stores such as ICI PARIS XL and Trekpleister. Ed made a remarkable presentation covering three key areas: his professional journey as a CEO of various companies, the leadership insights and lessons he learned along the way, and some personal anecdotes where he showed some family photos of their travels abroad. The host of this event was Jeffrey Mennen. There were 60 fellows in attendance and their interest was noticeable during the open forum, which the host had to stop so that we could proceed with the borrel, which is an important component of Grotius LITE. Some of the participants approached Ed personally for more questions during the borrel. Join us in our next Grotius LITE event and have an opportunity to ask questions directly to company executives and outstanding professionals in a very relaxed and welcoming environment, where we hope to help you build lasting friendships. Questions about our upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus #Leadership #Virtue #Friendship #Innovation #Kruidvat

Last February, Grotius hosted its first G-LITE with two speakers in the same forum: John Blankendaal (Managing Director Brainport Industries) and Eddie Mennen (Managing Director at Yaskawa Benelux). The theme of the event was "High Tech Ecosystems in Brainport." Both John and Eddie and leaders from the high-tech industry whose offices are both located in the Brainport Industries Campus, a tech-complex in the south of the Netherlands that promote start-ups. John is a key mover of the founding and development of Brainport. He discussed how Brainport unites suppliers in the Dutch high-tech supply chain, fosters collaboration among them and opens venues for global market expansion. He is like a CEO to other CEOs working in Brainport, providing them unique leadership insights and tips to develop further their innovations and discoveries. Eddie shared his experiences in leading innovation within a multinational robotics company. He shared the importance of developing one’s character to be an effective leader. He has recently moved from his role as Managing Director to Division Manager of the DACH region within the same company, Yaskawa. In line with the promotion of virtue-based leadership, both John and Eddie also shared their personal experiences on living virtues in the workplace, the value of building interpersonal relationships, the importance of being authentic to your peers, employees and among others. Put together, their talks highlighted how virtuous leadership and authentic engagement are critical to success in today’s innovative environments. This G-LITE event was sponsored by Yaskawa Benelux. It was hosted by Robin Maximus. Questions about upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus #Leadership #Virtue #Brainport #Yaskawa #Innovation #Robotics #Hightech

The first Grotius LITE of this year featured an inspiring talk by Dr. Ing. Prof. Achim Kampker coming from Germany. He shared valuable insights about the dynamic world of starts-ups within the PEM (Production Engineering of E-Mobility) ecosystem and RWTH Aachen University, at which he’s a professor. In the talk and open forum we delved deeper into the parts that are shaping the future of this innovative space by going over lessons learned and achievements of the 15+ start-ups Prof. Kampker is involved in. The host of the event was Daniele Maria Ripani, Research Master student in Maastricht University and a Project Manager of Grotius. Grotius LITE continues to be a venue where knowledge meets practical applications and opportunities to build friendships. We combine insightful talks with prestigious guests and provide venues to build lasting relationships. Questions about upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus #Leadership #Virtue #Friendship #RWTH #PEM #Startup #Leadershipdevelopment

Last October Grotius held its first Principled Leadership Course (PLC) with top-level speakers: Emmanuel Rigaux (CEO, Heras) Ben Tax Sr. (Managing Director, Rijk Zwaan) Renji John (Former CEO, Honest AgTech) Ben Tax Jr. (Chairman, Stichting Acutis) Oliver Tuazon (then President of Universitas Foundation Inc., now Chairman of Stichting Grotius) Daniele Maria Ripani (Project Manager, Stichting Grotius) The course elaborated on the three C’s principled leadership: that leaders be Competent, with solid Character and well formed Conscience. The speakers shared their professional and personal experiences around these topics. What made the course very special to the participants was their chance to freely ask any question to the speakers, either during open fora or personally. The three-day course provided enough occasion for the participants to develop friendships among themselves. Questions about upcoming events? Feel free to contact Jeffrey Mennen or Robin Maximus #PrincipledLeadership #Leadership #Virtue #Friendship #Competence #Character #Conscience #Seminar