In general, Dutch bosses have a reputation for being non-hierarchical and down-to-earth. Even the Dutch prime minister is known for biking to work and cleaning up his own spilled coffee. Once, I hosted an event for a company with a new CEO who was almost too eager to prove how normal he was. The new boss wouldn’t wear a tie. The new boss wouldn’t have his office on the top floor. The new boss would encourage Work-Life Balance. In fact, to prove he was okay with his team making time for outside projects, he wanted to announce how he himself was running a marathon for charity. I helped him make the announcement. And then he wanted to ask his new team for donations. I pointed out how – since he was still technically their boss – his team might feel awkwardly obligated to donate. He made a point of saying “You’re not required to donate!” But he still sent assistants into the audience with donation buckets, as everyone reluctantly emptied their pockets of coins. It was spectacularly awkward.
