Adriaan Bekman Books

Adriaan Bekman invites us to re-imagine organizations with soul, so as to enrich everyday working life.

Horizontal organizing is a possible answer to the ever more complex social reality in which we live. That reality requires of each of us to learn to act as horizontal leader and work and live together out of this quality. From a vertical organized world, top – down and bottom – up, power and hierarchy we emancipate to a more horizontal organized world, a world of value creating chains and relations, with personal initiative and reflective dialogue. There are leaders and professionals all around the world who dare to do this together. They create humane organizations and develop in them moral authority. In this book you find the basic fruits of our common exploration on horizontal organizing.

Leadership is a mystery, a mystery of community. It is connected with ancient questions about our origins, our soul, our freedom or intended, moral questions. Leadership touches the heart of existence. It is an existential question, an existential process in which we can stand up as man. Each of us, who wants to, can be part of the leadership process. We aim at contributing to a more fundamental approach to leadership that provides the reference for everyone who wants to participate in the leadership. It describes the leadership forces working in the organized community as they can help us to search for and strive „towards doing the good.“ It also can provide some guidance to all those students who not only want to master a profession but also want to show moral leadership in that profession.

This book contains the main concepts on horizontal leadership and organizational development which Adriaan Bekman published over the past years in Dutch. It gives a good insight to his key thoughts and research findings as expressed here in the case descriptions, concepts, leadership experiences, and tools. The reader will gain a better understanding of how horizontal leadership, organizing and Sense-Making are connected to and interrelated with each other. Following a structured approach the author initially explains the practical and conceptual aspects to horizontal organizing and horizontal leadership. This first part with a basic thinking description is followed by a more philosophical and methodological part wherein the leadership research methodology is explained. Moreover, in part two case stories demonstrate how leadership in organizations has an explicit relation to the wider community. However, leadership is a very personal issue. Throughout his book Adriaan Bekman recurs on the metaphor of organizations as living organisms. He has discovered that whilst management on the one hand is more linked to the vertical dimension of organizing, leadership on the other hand is more linked to the process of organizational change and development. Furthermore the author describes how horizontal leadership is not a person, but that it depends on a process of the organizational community in which we all participate. He also concentrates on the importance and impact of the way we dialogue, being the key dimension of the leadership’s ability to make the process of “creating change” work successfully. In completing his theoretical explanations the author provides the reader with detailed descriptions of the tools which can facilitate the leadership process in practice.

Are we not all struggling with our striving to achieve a fulfilled life? Is not happiness our highest aim? Can we deal with the complex life we have today in a fruitful way? Is there a place for love and respect in your life? Do you feel yourself free or is your soul occupied? These are questions that do not come with easy answers, or answers that we can copy from others and apply in our lives. These are questions we have to deal with ourselves so that we can find our own path to happiness and fulfilment. Based on my personal life experience and inspired by great teachers, I have discovered eight ways that one can go and that might lead us in the direction of a fulfilled life. See for yourself how that could work for you.

What induces someone to write a book like this? What underlying motives are there? These questions are complex, as human actions are driven by both conscious and unconscious factors. I aim to provide insight into this process, hoping readers will engage with the author's motives. With over forty years of experience advising organizations on human and organizational development, I have a unique perspective. After studying sociology and business administration, I coached military staff on enhancing the didactics of army schools. In about thirty schools, similar themes were taught through vastly different methods. The core question was: what constitutes effective and meaningful training for military personnel? I guided numerous older officers, often considered redundant, in conducting research, developing programs, and exploring new didactic approaches. This journey unfolded under the mentorship of younger, well-trained professional officers. Through this experience, I witnessed how change can transform the inner world of individuals with strong, fixed opinions, and the resistance that often accompanies such shifts. Convincing others is futile; they must personally experience the impact of changing their established ways of doing things.

Let us be clear: our time does not favour our understanding of soul. It is all about body culture, it is all about spiritual trips. For many of us the soul is a vague expression; it is something we cannot find any sensible concept for. That is a pity. In this book we will explore fundamental moments in life where the soul plays a dominant role. We will explore the relevance of soul for our lives and we will demonstrate ways of soul handling, soul nourishment, soul strengthening, soul development that can give us a sense-full life. Personal examples will illustrate this. I see the handling of the soul as the greatest challenge for human beings also today. Our struggle in life is our dealing with soul questions. Is it my “I” that steers the soul, or is it someone or something else? Can it not be that my father is the steering pilot in my soul, or my mother sometimes? Is my soul not filled with centuries of human religious creations, strong scientifically based convictions and strong family habits? It is not self-evident that my “I” steers and occupies the soul all the time. So let us explore soul, let us give soul the attention it deserves. In this book we will explore soul. It is our aim to demonstrate the importance of soul for our life quality. It is our aim to demonstrate that we create our own soul to a great extent and that it is an art of living today to understand our soul and to learn how to handle our soul.

Through extensive research and experimentation, the author identifies key opportunities for personal development in the social realm. By engaging in “social questioning” to support his clients meaningfully, he discovers a path of initiation that fosters the development of an authentic personality. This book aims to outline this initiation path for those eager to engage with social issues in today’s world. It offers the chance to cultivate an organ of observation for social reality and to navigate the challenges encountered in both professional and personal spheres. Additionally, it enhances awareness of the forces at play between individuals, facilitating growth as a conscious spiritual being, which is vital for personal spirituality and the collective humanity within the Divine creation. Studying this book serves as an introduction to the described path, but practical application in daily life is emphasized, with various tips provided. The insights offered should be viewed as a lens for observing social reality, enabling readers to make conscious, meaningful contributions based on their observations and personal connections.

Das Buch beleuchtet die essenziellen Aspekte effektiver Führung und Organisation, indem es Organisationsentwicklung und Veränderungsprozesse analysiert. Es bietet wertvolle Einblicke für Auftraggeber und Berater, basierend auf 50 Jahren praktischer Erfahrung in diesen Bereichen. Die Autorin teilt ihre umfassenden Erkenntnisse, um Fachleuten, die in Führungs- und Veränderungsprozesse involviert sind, praktische Hilfestellungen und Anregungen zu bieten.

Die Seele und der Sinn des Lebens Adriaan Bekman geht der Frage nach, wodurch sich die Existenz unserer Seele bemerkbar macht - und was wir dafür tun können, in einen lebendigeren Kontakt mit ihr zu treten. Dieses Buch schafft einen Raum der Reflexion, der Kontemplation und des Dialogs, der Sie ermutigen kann, der seelenzentrierten Aufmerksamkeit einen zentralen Platz in Ihrem Leben einzuräumen.