People-first leadership — building teams that do meaningful work together.
I’ve managed teams ranging from 20 to 25 people across contexts as different as a student community and an international media project. I believe good management is mostly about creating the conditions for people to do their best work.
Built the organisation from 4 people to 130 members, managing a core team of 20. Led weekly meetings, strategic planning, and created a culture where everyone had a real role and felt ownership over the work. January 2019 – December 2020.
Managed a fully remote team of 25 people across 11 countries. Built coordination systems for a team spread across time zones, kept a shared vision alive over 18+ months, and navigated the complexity of international collaboration with no budget.
Board member of the Amsterdam chapter of Effective Altruism. Involved in strategic decisions, event organisation, and the community’s longer-term direction.
The most important thing I’ve learned is that people do their best work when they feel that their contribution matters and that someone is paying attention. That sounds obvious — but actually doing it requires more deliberate effort than most people think.
I try to give people real ownership over their work, not just tasks. I check in regularly, not to monitor but because I’m genuinely interested in how things are going. And I try to be the kind of manager whose door people feel comfortable walking through when something is hard.
My training in conflict mediation and Non-Violent Communication has shaped how I handle disagreement — I’ve learned to sit with tension rather than rush to resolve it, and to find out what people actually need before jumping to solutions.
“Having Sam as our manager gave me a deep sense of belonging, where my voice truly mattered, and this supportive environment motivated me to discover my strengths and contribute with confidence.”
— Micol, Beyond Polarization
“When I think of working with Sam, I think of professionalism, clarity, and a calm, supportive presence, creating a cohesive and trusting team environment.”
— Aleksandra, Beyond Polarization