Mike Alderwegen

Educator/Teacher, Event planner, Idea generator

In 2004 I joined the Roal Dutch Navy. After several positions in personnel selection and management training, I had my long awaited tour in Kandahar Afghanistan in 2010. On my return I was asked to develop a leadership program based on Belbin's Teamrole management. This brought me to Cambridge where I met Mr. Meredith Belbin himself and was rewarded with the highest rated workshop and product of the World Belbin event 2012. Since a year I work for the Centre of Excelence for Leadership Development of the Dutch Ministry of Defence. Together with my team we are the proud host of TEDxDefensie. My aim for the future is to gain further expertise in leadership development and to experience a second tour.

Talent, and the many shapes and forms in which it comes. I am member of the network organisation 'Talent de Ruimte'. Here, professionals from different organisations come together to share expertise.

Leadership Development, team effectiveness

In oktober 2013 my TEDx adventure began. LtColonel De Bruijn proposed the idea of organizing a TEDx. He explained what TED was and spoke the magic words 'ideas worth spreading'. I opened the website and searched for leadership. Their I saw General Stanly McCrystal, under who I've served in Afghanistan. I was blown away by his Talk. It described the essence of the vision on leadership of the Dutch Ministry of Defense. The idea to communicate our vision on leadership combined with a TEDx emerged. I was invited by TEDxAmsterdam to gain inspiration, and they are still supporting me with TEDxDefensie. After approval of our license application the TED virus spread across our organization. Loads of people got involved, speakers, The Royal Military Academy, the Communication and Multimedia department, a speaker coach, artists, innovators and more. All without any compensation. This matches our aim; to organize a memorable corporate TEDx with a limited budget through sheer cooperation.

Ritselen en regelen:) (Dutch for getting things done with support of others, through informal channels)