Did you know that – for many professionals – leaders are a source of annoyance rather than inspiration? However, that doesn’t have to be the case for you. I can help you become a leader that inspires professionals and leads to job satisfaction – not annoyance.

My name is Linda van der Wal, trainer and coach for academic professionals and their supervisors. Whether you’re an assistant or a full professor I can help you take the next step in career and leadership through individual coaching and in-company courses. My clients experience diverse challenges, some of which include:

  • Leading ‘self-willed’ professionals: How do I effectively help my team progress? How can I ensure that I am a good supervisor while reaching my own research ambitions – despite the heavy workload? How can I delegate more effectively?
  • Career development: I would like to become an assistant professor. What is the smartest approach? Do I need another job, or is there a possibility to self-develop my current position? My contract is coming to an end…where can I find a new job?
  • Influence and strategy: How do I manage different team interests and still achieve my goal? How can I ensure that my innovative projects actually be implemented?

These challenges may seem overwhelming or unmanageable right now, but with expert help you can discover solutions that work with your unique circumstances and professional skill set.

I can work with you in both Dutch and English language, according to your preference.

Do what really matters to you

The coachees in my training programs are smart, driven people. They have already achieved a lot in life. At the same time, they know they can achieve more and have a great professional impact.

They want to do more about the things that really matter to them.

Simply put, they want to take a step to do something beyond themselves, to positively impact and contribute to the professional world of which they are a part.

Sound familiar? Give me a call or send me a message, 06-24884485.

About me: I love smart interventions

Whether you participate in a coaching or training program or let me provide a course, we’ll always search together for the crux: the point from which you can put everything into motion with relatively little energy.

Linda van der Wal

Necessity and urgency

Development is not only important for individual managers and employees, but also for the organizations they work for. The HR managers, policy staff and directors I meet often wonder how to effectively deal with challenges like:

  • How do I ensure more diversity in my organization? I want to achieve more awareness while simultaneously creating a highly inclusive culture.
  • My team members are good at what they do, but how can I ensure that they become better ‘people managers’?
  • How can I prepare people for their next step? Not only within the organization, but outside as well?
  • How can I prepare people for their next step? Not only within the organization, but outside as well? What is a smart professional step after a temporary contract ends, for example, at a university?
  • How do we deal with internal and external changes to the organization?

Learning how to better deal with these types of issues is not a luxury for organizations and professionals – it’s a necessity. The changes charge toward us at breakneck speed and demand a flexible organization with adaptive and entrepreneurial employees. These are some organizations I already worked for:

drs. Linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor Schouten & Nelissen
drs. Linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor gelre-ziekenhuizen
drs. Linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor Tactus
drs. Linda van der Wal geeft incompany training bij de politie
drs. linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor de KNAW
Linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor KPMG
Linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor het UMCG
drs. linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor Tilburg university
drs. Linda van der Wal werkt o.a. voor Donders Institute
wageningen-universiteit

Take a look at what my past clients have said:

“After Linda’s training, the managers felt strengthened in their role. Also, the mutual contacts and the base of trust within our management team have been strengthened.”

Michiel Angenent, interim Director Huijgens ING

“I have learned to create ideal conditions in my work so that I can now enjoy working.”

Katrien Luijkx, Professor by special appointment Tilburg University

Smart implementation of evidence-based ideas

To achieve goals, I work as much as possible with evidence-based theory. However, I realize it is essential to go beyond theory. If you work with me you will receive experiential exercises and we will translate that into smart practice and real-life implementation. To make this translation effective, I also help my coachees outside the sessions.

I believe in supporting my customers in the moments that matter. Not ‘just in case learning’, but learning ‘just in time’. For example, if you’re a supervisor and there’s a difficult assessment interview scheduled, you and I will talk shortly before. Afterwards, we would review your session and examine the highs, lows, and reasons behind both.

This accelerates learning by bookending important events with advice and immediate reflection.

If you think we are a good match…

Don’t hesitate to call me or send me an e-mail to see how I can help you achieve more in your professional life.