Name: Hans Bernard Lagerweij

Title: Founder, Strategy & Commercial Consultant

Organisation: Flying Dutchman Consultancy

Originally from the Netherlands and now based in Miami, Hans holds a Master of Business Administration from Erasmus University Rotterdam and a Master of Arts in Brand Management.

In the first ten years of his career, he worked for Packaged Consumer Goods companies Kimberly-Clark and Sara Lee in various Brand Activation, Brand Development, Sales, and Innovation Management roles.

In 2008, Hans combined his passion for adventure travel and his expertise in commercial management when he became Managing Director of Sawadee Reizen in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In 2010, Hans moved to Toronto and became president and CEO of polar cruise company Quark Expeditions, a business that was shortly afterwards mentioned as “best in class” business case in David Meerman Scott’s book «The New Rules of Sales & Service, how to Use Agile Selling, Real-Time Customer Engagement, Big Data, Content, and Storytelling to Grow Your Business”.

In 2015, Hans took over responsibility for all adventure brands within TUI Travel, a business that was successfully sold in 2017. In 2018, Hans became CEO and President of boutique luxury cruise start-up Victory Cruise Lines, a business that was successfully sold in 2019.

Recently, Hans was the president of the international businesses of Albatros Travel, including Albatros Expeditions, Albatros Arctic Circle, Albatros Africa, and Adventure Marathons, and a Senior Vice President at Four Seasons. Hans has his own consultancy company, Flying Dutchman Consultancy, which specializes in supporting companies to solve strategic and commercial growth challenges.

Having worked and lived in seven countries, Hans’s imagination knows no limits when it comes to building incredible customer experiences, from sailing a chartered nuclear icebreaker to the North Pole, to organizing marathons in some of the most unique locations in the world such as the Great Wall of China, sailing expedition cruises deep into the Peruvian Amazon and camping excursions in Antarctica.

Hans is also a trustee of the Safer Tourism Foundation in the United Kingdom and a Board Advisor for startup Lepdr/Lifepass (https://getleprd.com), a service platform to easily, reliably, and affordably buy back time, by outsourcing your “to-do list”.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Hans's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

First, lead with integrity, including honouring honesty and transparency and keeping promises.

Secondly, communicate! This includes active listening (applying Covey's seek first to understand before being understood), and asking for feedback and input. Keep stakeholders regularly informed.

Next, focus on building strong relationships, showing genuine care, and recognizing the contributions of the stakeholders. Offer support if needed.

Finally, celebrate successes. Show your authentic human side and have fun.

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

I am actually covering this in a book that will be released in 2025. You start with Purpose, not vision or mission. Purpose is the why behind the organization.

Mission is how the organization will fulfill its purpose. Vision is what the organization wants to achieve. Think of your vision as a postcard from your dream future. What does it look like? What kind of impact are you making?

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

I will also be covering this in my new book! IT is first about creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and suggestions for improvement. Added to that it is critical to empower decision-making. You need to grant employees the authority to make decisions and implement changes within their areas of responsibility.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

Keep in mind that people who report to you can also be a great mentor to you, in certain areas where they are an expert. I will never forget the great mentoring and lessons I received from the Russian captain Petr Goligov when I was managing Quark Expeditions, an expedition cruise company. Petr was so knowledgeable about everything ship-related, remote destinations, the impact of seas, weather, and ice conditions, and courses about negotiations with some of our Russian ship providers. He was always full of stories, and I loved listening to and learning from him. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago, but I still miss him.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

That is a very good question! Leadership is all about making a difference, and you can't make a difference in too many areas. I always apply strict priorities, focusing on 3-5 in a week, and evaluate them afterwards.

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

I always create a compact one-year plan with clear milestones. Every week, I evaluate myself where I am. Ofte, day-to-day demands take over, and I come to the conclusion that I didn't make substantial progress in a week. If that happens, I will correct and compensate for this in the new week ahead.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

Trust your team and do it! If you don't trust your team, you either are not the right leader, or your team doesn't have the right skills. Trust is fundamental. So just do it - identify the right task to delegate, communicate expectations, empower, and provide feedback and support. It sounds hard, but if you can't delegate, you are not the right leader for a senior position