Joost Kramer

Topics

1. 1. U.S. Politics & the Midterms 2026

   Joost analyses American politics with a focus on its impact on organizations. In his new book Midterm Mania, he unpacks the logic behind U.S. elections and the dynamics of the 2026 Midterms — how parties shape their strategy, why swing states remain pivotal, and which structural shifts are emerging within the American system. This lecture offers clear context, sharp analysis and directly applicable insights for leaders who want to understand what’s really happening beneath the surface.

   American politics continues to shape the global agenda. The 2026 Midterms will again influence the economy, security, regulation and the transatlantic relationship. This session translates geopolitical and market scenarios into tangible risks and opportunities for European and Dutch organizations. The result: clarity in a complex landscape and a sharper view of what decision-makers need to understand to think ahead.

2. 2. A World in Motion: the Role of the U.S. and Its Impact on Europe and Business

   In a world where geopolitical balances are shifting rapidly, the United States remains a defining force in the global economy, security landscape and strategic stability. This lecture explores how U.S. decision-making reverberates far beyond Washington — from security architecture and democratic institutions to the transatlantic relationship and America’s evolving stance toward China, Europe and technology. It highlights how the role of the U.S. is changing — and what that means for a world order in motion.

   For organizations, this dynamic translates directly into risks, opportunities and strategic trade-offs. Geopolitical developments affect markets, ESG requirements, regulation, supply chains and investment decisions. This session provides insight into what European organizations need to understand about the logic behind U.S. policy — and how that translates into implications for boardroom decision-making. The result: a sharper perspective on how geopolitics shapes the strategic space of companies and institutions — and how leaders can anticipate what lies ahead.

3. 3. Navigating the External Landscape: Geopolitics, Economics, Technology & Social Change

   Organizations are increasingly influenced by external forces: geopolitical shifts, economic pressure points, technological acceleration and social dynamics all shape the space for strategy and growth. This lecture shows how to recognize the signals that truly matter in a world full of noise. It’s about understanding long-term patterns, identifying structural breaks and interpreting developments that directly impact markets, regulation, reputation and risk.

   Scenario planning plays a central role: how do you prepare for multiple futures at once, and how do you build strategic agility into your organization? This session provides leaders with a practical framework for translating external uncertainty into internal clarity. From technological disruption to geopolitical tension and shifting societal expectations — participants gain insight into how contextual dynamics influence strategic direction and how organizations can stay on course as the world changes around them.

4. 4. The Board in Motion: Governance, Strategy & Decision-Making

   At the top of organizations, governance, behaviour and strategy come together. This lecture offers a sharp look behind the boardroom doors: the evolution of governance and supervision, the growing professionalization of executive and supervisory roles, and the ongoing challenge of building — and maintaining — leadership credibility. It’s a journey through today’s most pressing governance themes — a true governance safari — revealing how roles shift, responsibilities are shared, and why supervisory boards increasingly find themselves in the spotlight.

   At the same time, the session addresses how organizations function as a whole. How can strategy be more than a plan — and truly guide teams, processes and day-to-day decisions? How do you translate ambition into clear roles, collaboration and structured execution? And how do you create a way of working in which people understand what matters, see how their contribution fits the bigger picture, and feel empowered to act with professionalism? A grounded, experience-based perspective for organizations that want to perform not only at the top, but across all layers — consistently and effectively.

5. 5. Lateral Thinking: Strategic Thinking Tool for Complex Challenges

   We live in a time where the linear logic of planning, forecasting and control increasingly falls short. Technology, geopolitics and societal expectations are evolving faster than the structures we use to manage them. In such an environment, more information is no longer enough — only better thinking helps. Lateral Thinking offers exactly that: the ability to temporarily step outside the pattern and see reality anew before making a decision. It’s not a method, but a strategic form of cognitive space — essential when predictability is no longer the norm.

   This also raises a fundamental question: where does thinking actually take place in our organization? In the cultural layer — the organization’s ‘software’ — paradigms, language and norms shape what we consider possible. In the behavioural layer, thesepatterns repeat in reasoning, decision-making and systems. It is precisely there — where meeting culture, rules and structures unintentionally close off thinking space — that the biggest blind spot emerges. Lateral Thinking reopens that space. Not through more control, but by redesigning the thinking itself — so leaders can see possibilities that remained invisible within the old pattern.

Books

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  Midterm Mania

  View book