The coaches I worked with didn’t tell me what to do. At the moments that mattered most, they asked questions like: What do you really want? How does your behavior affect the team? How do you respond to setbacks and successes, and is that helpful? Where do your strengths lie, and how can you use them optimally? That’s when I realised the power of coaching, and I knew I wanted to do the same.
From Elite Sports to Complex Challenges
In 2003, Ewout completed the Johan Cruyff University programme for top athletes, writing a thesis on how elite sports coaches influence group dynamics and how these lessons translate to everyday work. Since the very beginning of my career, I focused on coaching teams and alliances. I’ve always believed, based on my sports experience, that the body, mind, and social context constantly influence each other.
In 2012, he launched his own agency. By 2016, Courageous Teaming was officially established with a partner, and in 2025 a third partner joined, adding further expertise. The agency primarily guides alliances in public-private megaprojects, including major infrastructure hubs, dyke reinforcement, and port development. In these projects, traditional authority structures often fall short. The technical and social complexity is immense. Alliances between clients and contractors need to be consciously built from the start. Some projects we’ve supported for over a decade.
Ewout was also inspired by the work of Harvard professor Amy Edmondson. Her research on the behaviors that make teams more effective aligns perfectly with our approach. A systemic perspective is another cornerstone of our work, something I recognised in the Executive Coaching program at VU. Real systemic change requires an independent position. Only then can you make a meaningful impact and avoid the safe, conventional route.
Structure, Practice, and Experimentation
What immediately drew Ewout to the Executive Coaching programme at VU was its clear structure. Every two months, we had a two-day session focused on one coaching style. I could immediately apply what I learned in my projects, experiment with it, and then reflect in a focused way. The online intervisions with colleagues were invaluable. They provided a space to discuss real challenges and receive direct feedback.
After receiving individual coaching questions from project directors, Ewout decided to combine the Executive Coaching program with body-oriented work by Yvonne Burger. This combination accelerated my development and expanded my toolkit of interventions. Some clients asked me to evaluate alliances and conduct research on megaproject collaborations, which eventually led me to pursue the Executive Master programme.
At VU, Ewout connected practical experience with scientific insight. VU has a knowledge hub specializing in paradoxes, which resonated with the tensions I saw in megaprojects. Learning to manage these paradoxical challenges productively became a central part of my research. Multiple conversations with project directors enriched this work, making it deeply meaningful. VU became the place where all my accumulated knowledge and experience finally came together.
He also discovered which coaching styles suited him best and where he could grow. Some styles, like psychodynamic work, felt distant at first. By experimenting, I realized that even these approaches can be extremely valuable in certain situations. It broadened my repertoire considerably.
Greater Freedom, Greater Impact
During my sports career, I experienced the freedom of being so skilled that, no matter where you placed me on a handball court, I knew I could perform. It was an incredible sense of confidence and freedom. In my work, I’ve found a similar feeling. No matter how complex the situation, I feel competent to handle it. My professional autonomy has grown, and Executive Coaching at VU played a big part in that.
A Lifelong Drive to Grow
The Olympic motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius—faster, higher, stronger—reflects how I approach life: improving every day. I want to create a stable and enjoyable environment for my family. I continue to exercise regularly, to release tension and process work challenges in a healthy way. Drawing on everything I’ve learned at VU over the past three years, I remain committed to building alliances where people feel both free and meaningful.
