Why do so many professional goals fail, even in well-led organisations with capable people?

In this episode, leadership expert Niels Brabandt breaks down professional goal setting from a leadership and governance perspective, separating evidence-based practice from motivational theatre. Drawing on real-world executive experience and scientifically grounded principles, this episode explains how leaders can design goals that actually deliver results.

This episode covers:

• Why context matters more than motivation in professional goal setting

• The correct use of OKRs, KPIs and Critical Success Factors in leadership

• Why invented performance metrics damage organisations and decision quality

• How unrealistic timelines undermine credibility and execution

• The role of buffer time in professional project and change management

• Why ambitious goals must be matched with real resources and decision power

• How follow-up, not slogans, determines whether goals succeed or quietly fail

Niels Brabandt explains why numbers alone never tell the full story, how soft factors such as culture and motivation determine long-term success, and why sustainable leadership requires realism, structure and discipline.

This episode is essential listening for:

• Executives and senior leaders

• Board members and decision makers

• Founders and entrepreneurs

• Strategy, transformation and change leaders

• Anyone responsible for setting and delivering professional goals

If you are responsible for results, people, or organisational performance, this episode will help you rethink how professional goal setting really works and why leadership, not motivation, is the decisive factor.

Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com

Contact Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/

Niels Brabandt's Leadership Letter: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Niels Brabandt's Website: https://www.nb-networks.biz/

Do New Year's resolutions genuinely lead to lasting change, or are they merely an annual illusion of progress? In this episode of The Leadership Podcast, Niels Brabandt examines the question through the lens of scientific research and executive leadership practice.

Rather than relying on popular myths or motivational slogans, this episode is grounded in peer reviewed studies from behavioural science and psychology. Niels Brabandt explains why the frequently quoted claim that only nine per cent of people keep their New Year's resolutions is not supported by scientific evidence. He presents what credible long term research actually shows, including why a significant minority of individuals do achieve sustainable behavioural change.

The episode explores why many resolutions fail and why this failure is not a matter of weak willpower. Vague goals, outcome fixation without method, and excessive dependence on external factors are identified as the primary reasons why resolutions collapse within weeks. These insights are directly relevant to business leaders who face similar challenges in strategy execution and organisational change.

Niels Brabandt also outlines what works. Drawing on both research findings and real world leadership experience, he explains why behaviour based goals outperform intention based goals, why measurability is essential for accountability, and how identity plays a decisive role in long term success. Particular attention is given to the difference between positive goals and avoidance goals, a distinction with significant implications for leadership, performance management, and personal development.

This episode is designed for executives, senior leaders, entrepreneurs, and decision makers who want to understand how evidence based goal setting can improve both personal effectiveness and organisational outcomes. New Year's resolutions are reframed not as motivational rituals, but as strategic instruments of self leadership when applied correctly.

The Leadership Podcast with Niels Brabandt delivers rigorous thinking on leadership, self leadership, organisational behaviour, and sustainable performance, combining academic insight with practical relevance for those in responsibility.

Keywords:
Niels Brabandt, New Year's resolutions, do New Year's resolutions work, leadership podcast, business leadership, executive leadership, self leadership, goal setting, behavioural change, evidence based leadership, organisational change, management psychology, decision making, leadership development, performance management, business strategy, sustainable change, leadership science, personal effectiveness

Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com

Contact to Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/

Niels Brabandt's Leadership Letter: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Niels Brabandt's Website: https://www.nb-networks.biz/

The end of the year is more than a date on the calendar. It is a leadership moment.

In this end-of-year reflection, Niels Brabandt takes a deliberately humorous yet thoughtful look at end-of-year business—not as a last-minute rush for numbers, but as an opportunity to pause, reflect, and say thank you.

Drawing on insights from The Leadership Podcast and Leadership Videocast, this piece addresses why leadership does not stop when the calendar year ends, why persistence matters more than hype, and why gratitude is one of the most underestimated leadership tools.

This end-of-year article explores:

• Why end-of-year business is a leadership responsibility, not just an operational task

• How reflection strengthens leadership effectiveness

• The role of gratitude and appreciation in modern leadership

• Why sustainable leadership is built on consistency, not motivational noise

• How leaders can consciously close one year and prepare for the next

Above all, this piece is a thank-you—to listeners, viewers, readers, and everyone who engaged in meaningful leadership conversations throughout the year. It also acknowledges those who continue working while others pause, reminding us that leadership includes visibility, respect, and recognition.

Written for leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers, this article invites readers to celebrate achievements—large and small—and to approach the coming year with clarity, calm, and intention.

About the author:
Niels Brabandt is a leadership expert, trainer, speaker, coach, and entrepreneur. He works internationally with organisations and leaders on modern leadership, organisational development, and sustainable leadership practices. Through his podcast, videocast, articles, and live sessions, he provides research-based, practical leadership insights—always accessible and free of empty motivational rhetoric.

Keywords:

Niels Brabandt, leadership, end-of-year business, leadership reflection, modern leadership, business leadership, leadership podcast, leadership videocast, executive leadership, organisational development, leadership mindset, sustainable leadership, leadership at year end, management, decision-makers, leadership insights

Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com

Contact to Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/

Niels Brabandt's Leadership Letter: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Niels Brabandt's Website: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Is your recruiting process truly fit for today's talent market – or is it silently driving the best candidates away?

In this episode, Niels Brabandt, leadership expert, executive coach, and organisational advisor, examines why recruiting can no longer be treated as an administrative HR task. Instead, modern recruiting must be understood as a core leadership strategy that directly influences organisational performance, employer reputation, and long-term competitiveness.

Drawing on real-world examples and evidence-based insights, Niels Brabandt explains how arbitrary hiring practices, excessive interview rounds, lack of transparency, and outdated process design undermine trust and decision quality. He outlines why candidate-first design, speed, and radical clarity are now decisive factors in attracting and retaining high-performing talent.

Key topics include:

• Why recruiting is a strategic leadership responsibility, not a back-office process

• How arbitrary judgement and ego-driven decisions damage hiring outcomes

• The importance of candidate-first design in modern recruiting processes

• Why transparency and speed are competitive advantages in talent acquisition

• The risks of excessive interview rounds and unstructured decision-making

• Why recruiting decisions must be evidence-based, not driven by intuition or personal bias

• How Artificial Intelligence can support recruiting – and where human leadership remains essential

• Why recruiting is always a two-way assessment between organisation and candidate

This episode is aimed at CEOs, board members, senior executives, HR leaders, and business decision makers who want to future-proof their organisations by aligning recruiting with leadership, strategy, and evidence-based management.

Recruiting is not about control.
Recruiting is about leadership.
And recruiting reveals how seriously organisations take people, performance, and the future.

Host: Niels Brabandt
Topics: Leadership, Recruiting, Talent Acquisition, Candidate Experience, Strategic HR, Evidence-Based Management, Organisational Development, Executive Leadership, Future of Work

Keywords:

Niels Brabandt, recruiting up to date, modern recruiting, strategic recruiting, leadership recruiting, talent acquisition strategy, candidate experience, candidate-first design, evidence-based recruiting, executive leadership, HR strategy, recruiting process, hiring decisions, artificial intelligence in recruiting, future of work, organisational development, employer branding

Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com

Contact to Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/

Niels Brabandt's Leadership Letter: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Niels Brabandt's Website: https://www.nb-networks.biz/

Long-term planning has become one of the most decisive leadership responsibilities in today's volatile business environment. Yet many leaders struggle to provide clear direction, manage uncertainty and communicate strategy in a way that earns trust. In this episode, Niels Brabandt, international leadership expert and founder of NB Networks, delivers a rigorous, evidence-based analysis of how modern leaders must approach long-term planning to ensure organisational stability and performance.

Drawing on real-world examples and executive-level experience, Brabandt explains:
• why overconfident predictions and vague statements both erode trust,
• how uncertainty triggers organisational overthinking when leaders lack clarity,
• why gut feeling fails as a strategic tool and how evidence-based decision-making must replace it,
• the essential role of professional forecasting, data science and stochastic modelling,
• how leaders can manage expectations and negotiate strategic targets effectively,
• why experience and expertise together form the foundation of credible leadership,
• and how fact-based communication strengthens organisational alignment.

This episode is designed for business decision makers who demand more than inspirational leadership rhetoric. It offers a practical, analytical and academically grounded framework for leading with integrity, clarity and strategic depth.

For further insights, articles, videos and access to weekly leadership content, visit www.NB-Networks.com.

Keywords:
Niels Brabandt, Leadership, Long-Term Planning, Strategic Leadership, Organisational Strategy, Executive Decision Making, Forecasting, Stochastic Forecasting, Data-Driven Leadership, Overthinking Effect, Leadership Communication, Managing Expectations, Leadership Development, Business Leadership, Sustainable Leadership, Organisational Performance, NB Networks.

Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com

Contact to Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/

Niels Brabandts Leadership Letter: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Niels Brabandts Website: https://www.nb-networks.biz/

In this week's episode, Niels Brabandt welcomes internationally recognised executive coach Ash Seddeek for a deep, evidence-based conversation on excellent executive coaching—what it is, how it works, and why it has become essential for today's business leaders.

The unregulated coaching market is crowded with self-proclaimed experts, online "gurus," and superficial advice. This episode separates substance from noise. Drawing on his corporate background at Deloitte and Cisco, and his certification in the Marshall Goldsmith stakeholder-centered coaching methodology, Ash Seddeek explains how top-level coaching actually delivers measurable results. Together, Niels Brabandt and Ash Seddeek outline a clear, practical framework for leaders who want coaching that is credible, impactful, and aligned with organisational goals.

This episode is a must-listen for business decision makers seeking clarity on:

• What defines excellent executive coaching—and how to distinguish real expertise from market hype

• How stakeholder-centered coaching creates measurable behavioural change

• Why even highly successful executives face perception barriers that coaching can remove

• How to evaluate and select the right coach, including references, credibility, and methodology

• How leaders can overcome communication challenges, from speech fillers to keynote delivery

• Why introverted or reluctant speakers can still become inspiring leaders

• How to build a coaching culture in organisations that currently resist investing in leadership development

• What realistic coaching timelines look like, and how structured, sequential improvement works in practice

• How coaching strengthens leadership impact, organisational trust, and long-term performance

Throughout this conversation, Niels Brabandt and Ash Seddeek provide actionable insights, practical examples, and guidance grounded in real executive experience.

Keywords:
Niels Brabandt, Ash Seddeek, executive coaching, excellent executive coaching, leadership development, stakeholder centered coaching, Marshall Goldsmith coaching, business decision making, organisational leadership, sustainable leadership, communication mastery, executive presence, leadership communication, perception management, behavioural change, coaching culture, leadership performance, corporate governance, talent development, high-impact coaching, executive growth, NB Networks.

Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com

Contact to Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/

Niels Brabandt's Leadership Letter: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Niels Brabandt's Website: https://www.nb-networks.biz/

In this new episode, Niels Brabandt, international leadership expert and founder of NB Networks, examines one of the most overlooked but decisive factors in modern business leadership: standing up for values. Across industries, executives frequently speak about values, ethics, and integrity—yet real-world decisions often tell a very different story.

Triggered by a recent, highly controversial event involving the German Association for Family Businesses and its decision to engage with a secured far-right extremist organisation, Niels Brabandt analyses why value-based leadership collapses when conviction is missing. Drawing from historical and contemporary examples—including supply-chain failures, compliance breakdowns, and corporate ethics scandals—this episode reveals how organisations drift into reputational crises when leaders choose convenience over principles.

This episode answers the questions every decision maker must confront:

• Why acting without values is impossible, and what actually determines a leader's ethical compass.

• How organisations lose credibility when leaders rely on "pseudo-reasons" instead of transparent justifications.

• Why engaging with extremist actors poses profound operational, cultural, and democratic risks.

• How mission, vision, and values must be implemented to build a culture that consistently lives its principles.

• What authentic leadership looks like—and why employees quickly identify and disengage from inauthentic behaviour.

• How value-driven leadership strengthens trust, retention, organisational resilience, and long-term business performance.

Grounded in practical leadership experience and supported by evidence from real corporate cases, Niels Brabandt outlines a clear roadmap for leaders who aim to build organisations that are credible, resilient, and trustworthy.

Keywords:
Niels Brabandt, leadership, value-based leadership, business ethics, organisational culture, sustainable leadership, decision-making, corporate governance, authenticity in leadership, compliance, ethical leadership, organisational trust, executive responsibility, leadership development, business decision makers, NB Networks, standing up for values, mission vision values, leadership integrity, organisational behaviour.

Leaders are expected to communicate confidently, clearly and without notes. Yet the reality inside organisations — and on the global stage — shows a different truth: some leaders need a script, and when they abandon it, organisations pay the price.

In this episode, Niels Brabandt, international leadership expert and founder of NB Networks, examines why scripted communication is often essential for leaders operating at high stakes — and what happens when they deviate from prepared messaging.

Drawing on real-world cases and high-profile examples, this episode provides senior decision makers with a strategic blueprint for preventing communicative missteps before they escalate into reputational, political, or organisational crises.

Key insights include:

• Why communication risks increase sharply with leadership seniority

• How upbringing, social context, and limited rhetorical experience shape communication flaws

• Why off-script remarks can damage brands, diplomatic relationships, and internal trust

• The difference between authentic communication and uncontrolled spontaneity

• How organisations decide between scripting and upskilling — and when each is necessary

• Why leaders without self-awareness create systemic risk

• How rhetorical training, communication architecture, and structured reflection improve leadership performance

• Why sustainable leadership requires clarity, preparation, and disciplined messaging

This episode by Niels Brabandt delivers a rigorous, actionable analysis designed for executives, board members and leaders responsible for brand reputation, political navigation, and organisational stability.

Keywords:

Niels Brabandt, leadership communication, scripted leadership, off-script failures, leadership crisis communication, executive communication, sustainable leadership, leadership mistakes, communication strategy, organisational reputation, leadership development, high-stakes communication, rhetorical training for leaders, leadership analysis, Niels Brabandt podcast, business decision makers, leadership risks, executive behaviour, communication failures

Host: Niels Brabandt / NB@NB-Networks.com

Contact to Niels Brabandt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsbrabandt/

Niels Brabandt's Leadership Letter: https://expert.nb-networks.com/

Niels Brabandt's Website: https://www.nb-networks.biz/