Meet
Vincent Moolenaar
What brought you to NGL and why do you choose to contribute here at this stage of your work and life?
At some point in your career, you realize that polishing strengths is less interesting than being confronted with your blind spots. I learned most from moments where someone dared to say what others politely avoided, with clarity and good intent. Those moments stayed with me. What drew me to NGL is exactly that spirit. Sharp minds, honest reflection, no theatrics. At this stage of my work and life, I care less about being impressive and more about being useful. NGL feels like a place where that still matters, and where I enjoy giving back what I once received.
Which questions of themes keep recurring in your work with leaders and leadership teams?
I often return to the gap between the quality of dialogue and the quality of decisions. During a Board Review we conducted with a client, I once remarked that you can have a very good discussion and still end up with a very bad decision. Leaders invest heavily in conversation, process, and tone, yet sometimes lose sight of what those discussions actually produce. The recurring question is how insight becomes judgment, and judgment becomes action. In complex contexts, alignment can feel reassuring while quietly masking weak or risky choices.
How do you work in practice with tension, resistance, and discomfort in leadership situations?
I have learned to treat tension less like an obstacle and more like a weather signal. Earlier in my career, I tended to sail straight into it, convinced that progress required force. Over time, I saw that resistance often points to something unseen. Today I try to slow down and read the wind before adjusting course. Discomfort early on usually carries valuable information. When I stay with it instead of pushing through, better ideas emerge and commitment grows. The journey may take longer, but the destination is often stronger.
What do you see or sense in leadership contexts that is often overlooked, avoided or named too late?
Listening! Many leaders feel pressure to show decisiveness and to provide answers quickly. As a result, they speak when silence would be more useful. I frequently see that leadership becomes more effective when space is created for others to contribute fully. Guiding the quality of the conversation, shaping the conditions, and working toward synthesis can be far more powerful than having the best answer yourself. Especially in complex situations, slowing down and listening tends to produce better outcomes over time.
What is one piece of advice or insight you would want to share with leaders, even if they did not ask for it?
Only the last sentence: Watch and learn, and let it work!