Jeff de Kleijn

Orchestrating Leadership in the Age of Complexity

The greatest crisis in leadership today isn’t technology or competition—it’s the failure to navigate uncertainty with wisdom, adaptability, and long-term vision.

In an era when intelligence is no longer confined to central decision-makers, hierarchies are too slow, and rigid structures collapse under complexity. The best leaders don’t control—they orchestrate influence, shaping self-organising networks that can thrive amid uncertainty.

Jeff de Kleijn guides C-suite executives, policymakers, and investors through this leadership transformation. A global strategist, systems thinker, and business philosopher, Jeff helps leaders embrace emergent strategy, decentralisation, and networked intelligence to create resilient, high-impact organisations.

Navigating the Shift from Control to Influence

Leadership today is no longer about imposing order—it’s about creating the conditions for emergence. Strategic plans often unravel in the face of rapid change. The most successful leaders don’t merely execute plans—they cultivate environments where adaptation happens naturally.

Jeff’s transcultural expertise bridges Eastern and Western strategic thinking, drawing on insights from:

• Network Theory → Leading through self-organising systems.
• Chinese Philosophy → Leveraging Daoist & Confucian approaches to leadership.
• Complexity Science → Mastering decentralised intelligence & emergent strategy.

These frameworks empower executives to transition from rigid corporate structures to fluid, high-trust environments where real-time decision-making fuels competitive advantage.

The Future of Strategy: Adaptive, Emergent, Resilient

Instead of seeing uncertainty as a problem, Jeff teaches leaders to harness it as an opportunity. Senior teams learn how to:

✔ Evolve from command-and-control to influence-driven leadership.
✔ Build decentralised, high-impact decision-making networks.
✔ Leverage AI & technology without losing human strategic intelligence.

Organisations are not machines. They are living ecosystems that adapt, evolve, and self-organise. As bureaucracy becomes obsolete, leadership must become relational, responsive, and deeply attuned to complexity.

Dynamic and Engaging Presence

Jeff doesn’t just talk about change—he conducts it. A trained stage performer, corporate media expert, and masterful storyteller, Jeff ensures his insights cut through corporate noise and resonate at the highest levels.

His upcoming book, Postmodern Leadership: Navigating Crises and Complexity in the Information Era, provides a strategic guide for executives in a world where power is no longer centralised, and influence emerges through high-connectivity networks.

His approach blends boardroom pragmatism with a philosopher’s depth, making him one of the most sought-after voices in executive leadership today.

Core Speaking Themes

• Leading Through Uncertainty:
  • How senior leaders can navigate complexity with confidence and resilience.
• The Death of Hierarchy:
  • Why traditional corporate structures are failing and what comes next.
• Noble Leadership in the Information Age:
  • Integrating Eastern & Western Thought for Strategic, Enduring Impact.
• AI & Leadership:
  • Unlocking Networked Intelligence and Creativity for High-Stakes Decision-Making
• Emergent Strategy:
  • Why the future belongs to leaders who master adaptability & decentralisation.

Why Jeff de Kleijn?

Jeff’s insights go beyond conventional corporate rhetoric. He translates complexity into clarity, offering senior leaders the following:

✔ Practical frameworks to rethink power, influence & decision-making.
✔ Unparalleled global executive experience (HP, Canon, Fortune 500, Impact Venture Building).
✔ A proven record of large-scale business transformation (Scaled businesses at 25% CAGR across APAC & Europe).
✔ Theatrical stage presence & powerful storytelling to captivate audiences.

Jeff seamlessly integrates strategy, philosophy, and human behaviour, making him one of the most compelling leadership speakers for C-suite audiences today.