{"id":398,"date":"2026-05-14T12:41:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/als-het-niet-goed-voelt-doe-ik-het-niet-mohamed-el-achkar\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T08:59:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T08:59:11","slug":"als-het-niet-goed-voelt-doe-ik-het-niet-mohamed-el-achkar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/als-het-niet-goed-voelt-doe-ik-het-niet-mohamed-el-achkar\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;If it doesn&#8217;t feel right, I don&#8217;t do it&#8217; &#8211; Mohamed el Achkar"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<div id='full_slider_1'  class='avia-fullwidth-slider main_color avia-shadow   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap fullsize'  ><div  class='avia-slideshow av-13ll8y-15906fa6d2bbf38f866c3544dabbfd06 avia-slideshow-featured av_slideshow_full avia-slide-slider av-slideshow-ui av-control-default av-slideshow-manual av-loop-once av-loop-manual-endless av-default-height-applied   avia-slideshow-1' data-slideshow-options=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;slide&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:false,&quot;loop_autoplay&quot;:&quot;once&quot;,&quot;interval&quot;:5,&quot;loop_manual&quot;:&quot;manual-endless&quot;,&quot;autoplay_stopper&quot;:false,&quot;noNavigation&quot;:false,&quot;bg_slider&quot;:false,&quot;keep_padding&quot;:false,&quot;hoverpause&quot;:false,&quot;show_slide_delay&quot;:0}\"  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 28.666666666667%;'><li  class='avia-slideshow-slide av-13ll8y-15906fa6d2bbf38f866c3544dabbfd06__0  av-single-slide slide-1 slide-odd'><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"wp-image-466 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-466\"  src=\"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/STIPPENCIRKEL-semitrans-1500x430.png\" width=\"1500\" height=\"430\" title='STIPPENCIRKEL-semitrans' alt=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"   \/><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-398'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div  class='flex_column av-t9z5u-38fd8654bbe3d4c2d25eff29b8c2cc49 av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_slideshow_full  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div  '     ><\/div>\n<div  class='flex_column av-mq6qi-5bd8d77e2599ef46ec55db82df2d6a76 av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  flex_column_div  '     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-mp11vf6b-cdb021de475dc68a4239f846eb2efec2 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h1><strong>&#8216;If it doesn&#8217;t feel right, I don&#8217;t do it&#8217;<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><em>Mohamed el Achkar serves on the Board of Directors of Woonstad Rotterdam and holds several supervisory roles. But ask him about his compass as a leader, and he gives a surprisingly simple answer: his gut feeling.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Throw me into a working-class neighbourhood. That&#8217;s where I feel strongest. Face to face with the people who really matter.&#8217; That says a great deal about how Mohamed experiences leadership. Connection is his starting point, and intuition is the instrument through which he makes that connection.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Energy as a compass<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Mohamed describes intuition as &#8216;energy based on stored experience.&#8217; For him it&#8217;s not a mystical phenomenon \u2014 it&#8217;s a practical and familiar tool. &#8216;The closer I stay to my intuition, the stronger the curve towards results.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>That energy also shapes how he builds his environment. When forming his management team, he looked for people with passion and drive. &#8216;I run on people who believe in something. That energy.&#8217;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Seeing talent others don&#8217;t see<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Mohamed&#8217;s sharpest intuitive antenna is reserved for people. He tells the story of a woman he took on years ago for a work experience placement at the municipality of The Hague, a modest role, barely visible. &#8216;I encouraged her and just watched her grow. She has since taken several wonderful steps in her career.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>That kind of ability \u2014 spotting talent that gets overlooked \u2014 cannot be captured in an assessment, he says. Better to listen to your intuition.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The system blocks it<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There is also a sharp observation. Mohamed sees how intuition is systematically organised away: &#8216;We are trapped in a collective system. Everything has to be discussed and agreed collectively. Intuition gets blocked in the process.&#8217; His response is practical: he has stopped attending meetings and gatherings where he couldn&#8217;t make a difference anyway.<\/p>\n<p>Intuition, for Mohamed, is no special gift. It&#8217;s simply how he works. Every day. But it doesn&#8217;t work on command. Mohamed has learned that it requires stillness. He cycles and walks regularly, even when things are busy. &#8216;Grounding things&#8217; help him stay close to himself \u2014 and that&#8217;s what allows him to access his intuition.<\/p>\n<p><em>> Mohamed is one of the 27 leaders interviewed for The Subtle Superpower. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/sales\/\"><em>Order the book here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-mp6uz5ai-f578be1cc03a0bdd37ca418875be3424\">\n.avia-image-container.av-mp6uz5ai-f578be1cc03a0bdd37ca418875be3424 img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-mp6uz5ai-f578be1cc03a0bdd37ca418875be3424 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-mp6uz5ai-f578be1cc03a0bdd37ca418875be3424 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last '   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class='wp-image-458 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-458 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Mohamed2026.jpg\" alt='' title='Mohamed2026'  height=\"750\" width=\"750\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Mohamed2026.jpg 750w, https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Mohamed2026-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Mohamed2026-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Mohamed2026-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Mohamed2026-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/book\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Mohamed2026-705x705.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p><\/div><div  class='flex_column av-h47wi-790f975fa878f8b3b4a6046a097a7957 av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div  '     ><\/div><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-7p2sq-fcf4ba4e8c242f35a0c1643b26178351\">\n.avia-section.av-7p2sq-fcf4ba4e8c242f35a0c1643b26178351{\nbackground-color:#e9eff2;\nbackground-image:unset;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section av-7p2sq-fcf4ba4e8c242f35a0c1643b26178351 main_color avia-section-default avia-no-border-styling  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-last  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-398'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div  id=\"avia-magazine-1\"  class='av-magazine av-mp11th3m-949120560d1ed44c8d270f1d0a4b5af0  avia-builder-el-7  avia-builder-el-no-sibling   avia-builder-el-7  avia-builder-el-no-sibling ' ><div class='av-magazine-group sort_all'><article class='av-magazine-entry av-magazine-entry-id-398 av-magazine-format-standard av-magazine-type-post av-magazine-entry-1 av-magazine-entry-small av-magazine-no-thumb'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class=\"av-magazine-content-wrap\"><header class=\"entry-content-header\" aria-label=\"Post: &#039;If it doesn&#039;t feel right, I don&#039;t do it&#039; - Mohamed el Achkar\"><time class='av-magazine-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2026-05-14T12:41:36+00:00\" >May 14, 2026<\/time><h3 class='av-magazine-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/als-het-niet-goed-voelt-doe-ik-het-niet-mohamed-el-achkar\/' title='Link to: &#8216;If it doesn&#8217;t feel right, I don&#8217;t do it&#8217; &#8211; Mohamed el Achkar'>&#8216;If it doesn&#8217;t feel right, I don&#8217;t do it&#8217; &#8211; Mohamed el Achkar<\/a><\/h3><\/header><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><article class='av-magazine-entry av-magazine-entry-id-375 av-magazine-format-standard av-magazine-type-post av-magazine-entry-2 av-magazine-entry-small av-magazine-no-thumb'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class=\"av-magazine-content-wrap\"><header class=\"entry-content-header\" aria-label=\"Post: I just knew it was right - Melek Usta\"><time class='av-magazine-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2026-05-11T10:20:44+00:00\" >May 11, 2026<\/time><h3 class='av-magazine-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/i-just-knew-it-was-right-melek-usta\/' title='Link to: I just knew it was right &#8211; Melek Usta'>I just knew it was right &#8211; Melek Usta<\/a><\/h3><\/header><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><article class='av-magazine-entry av-magazine-entry-id-428 av-magazine-format-standard av-magazine-type-post av-magazine-entry-3 av-magazine-entry-small av-magazine-no-thumb'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class=\"av-magazine-content-wrap\"><header class=\"entry-content-header\" aria-label=\"Post: \u2018How my intuition helped prevent a military escalation\u2019 - Kees Matthijssen\"><time class='av-magazine-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2026-05-04T22:46:17+00:00\" >May 4, 2026<\/time><h3 class='av-magazine-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/how-my-intuition-helped-prevent-a-military-escalation-by-kees-matthijssen\/' title='Link to: \u2018How my intuition helped prevent a military escalation\u2019 &#8211; Kees Matthijssen'>\u2018How my intuition helped prevent a military escalation\u2019 &#8211; Kees Matthijssen<\/a><\/h3><\/header><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><\/div><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ervaringen","category-experiences"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=398"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":576,"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/398\/revisions\/576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benitaplesch.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}