The Golden Combination

'This book has been an eye-opener and a trigger for me as a leader and professional. When you lead organizations for years, some things become self-evident. But the novice leader also faces situations for which you do not immediately have an answer. Written in Gwen's characteristically pleasant style, she takes you through 10 logical steps to recognize situations and factors and invites you to get started! An accessible management book with many practical examples that make you think! Each step ends with non-binding assignments that make you curious to gain real insight into your own 'unique' situation. In addition, it also offers hands-on solutions to tackle issues with the insights gained and supporting references. Do you, as a leader, dare to take up this challenge and grow?'

Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Natural leadership is recognized instead of 'promoted'. Recipes especially suitable for non-athletes. Let yourself be seduced!

The road to gold is long, lonely and has more dropouts than successors. Lonely but not alone. Without a team you will never achieve that success. The book describes the beautiful balance between personal objectives and team results. Sometimes the team works for you, sometimes you work for the team. You need each other to achieve your own goals. “My best team ever” is the guide for that difficult but oh so beautiful road.

My best team ever! reads like a good conversation with Gwen. Well written, entertaining, fascinating and educational.

Before you know it, as a leader you have a team around you. A group of people who you expect to achieve something together. Preferably something that you find important. In her book, Gwen shows how such a team can grow to top performance, how they go for GOLD. And what added value that provides for team and leader. An inspiring path to the highest podium, a 'must' for anyone who deals with teamwork and team performance.

'As an entrepreneur with a start-up/scale-up, I regularly need practical tools that help me with the growth, strategy and development of my organization. 'Grip on Growth & Capriciousness in 10 Steps' meets that need with practical guidance, as we have come to expect from Gwen with her combination of theory and pragmatic approach. 10 steps that highlight every facet of entrepreneurship and provide the focus to be successful. Not heavy, but clearly recognizable and applicable, from 'aha' to 'oh yes', a must have for every manager and growth diamond.'

My best team ever…. A book that fits into this society 3.0 era. Everything is different and although you go faster alone, you go further together. And that's the point. Together. Everyone has different roles and responsibilities but teamwork is the essence and the path to gold. The great thing about this book is the connection it makes with top sport. Top sport is a pressure cooker in which it is all about getting and staying at the top. This knowledge is a source of inspiration for leaders and teams. Read it, experience it and translate and use these lessons.

Going for gold, who wouldn't want that! Gwen challenges leaders to take the step towards gold. Based on her years of experience as a coach, she offers leaders practical insights to get started with.

'In 10 clear and recognizable steps, you as an entrepreneur will be taken on the journey to (more) success. The book is easy to read and with clear examples it is practical and applicable.'

Congratulations to Gwen for putting this book together. I now find many of the topics that Gwen applied in our company in this book. Sometimes recognizable from our own experiences, sometimes 'refreshers', and sometimes new, now also beautifully brought together in this book. Excellent tools that can be immediately applied in practice to help you look at things differently. Enjoy reading for you who now have this inspiring book in your hands.

Gwen describes in detail what it takes to be successful as a team. Team development is a continuous process and priority #1 for every manager. This book gives you excellent tools, now you can get started as a leader! | 'In her new book, Gwen has clearly described how you can further increase the effectiveness of yourself, your team and your company. Given the turbulent times we are in, I believe that 'capriciousness' will always remain and that the desire for growth is a must for leaders.'

'While reading the book, many recognizable topics emerged. Many situations described, combined with practical tips, can be very well placed in the phase we are in as a company. This is characterized as, among other things, rapidly growing in number of people. The text is also very compellingly written and the book provides immediate solutions to current issues on the proverbial 'work floor'. This makes it all the more interesting and functional.'

When I read this book I was moved by the positive drive that the book exudes. The confidence that we can show leadership in a seemingly easy way. We can simply be human in working with others, with whom we spend so much time. But as always, something that seems easy takes a lot of training and dedication. And this book provides insights into this and very good tools for this.

Gwen knows better than anyone else how to effectively get to the essence of the issue. With her direct style and enormous wealth of experience, she does not let go and encourages you to reflect. She helps you make connections and puts you in the position to go to the next level yourself. A new perspective on business has been created.

It is a continuous search to find a good balance between autonomy, complementarity and shared leadership. But what a wonderful journey it is to find that balance together in this book!

Kees Groenewoud | 'According to Gwen, entrepreneurship is like taking a trip. Actually, this also applies to the second book she wrote. Reading this book is not only an adventurous and educational journey, it is also a mirror for yourself as an entrepreneur and director. It forces you to consider – using 10 clearly explained steps – how to keep your destination focused and avoid wandering. This is a professional with experience speaking. Read this book and learn from it!'