Allard Droste

About Allard Droste

Allard Droste, entrepreneur, author, and as he often calls himself; a professional dreamer, inspires with interactive stories about trust, authenticity, and simplicity in work and life. His philosophy focuses on breaking traditional hierarchies and promoting collaboration, personal responsibility, and personal growth. Droste advocates for a work culture where trust is the foundation, rules are minimized, and employees have genuine say in decision-making.

Droste’s approach at Aldowa, a metal company in Rotterdam, where he has implemented his vision for over ten years through trial and error. He abolishes fixed working hours and job descriptions, creating an environment where all employees, regardless of their background, have the freedom to make independent decisions. Trust is the basis of operations at Aldowa. The emphasis is on the qualities that each employee naturally brings. These changes not only lead to increased job satisfaction, an unprecedentedly low absenteeism rate, and impressive results: Aldowa’s revenue grew sixfold organically, even during economically challenging times.

Droste’s ideas are inspired by his own experiences, although he later discovered that his approach closely aligns with the thoughts of Ricardo Semler. In his bestseller ‘Semco in the Polder’, he shares practical insights on creating a culture based on trust. He emphasizes that this approach is often difficult for managers, who tend to want to maintain control. He knows that true trust in employees leads to exceptional results.

With his new movement ‘Growing by Sharing’, Allard Droste focuses on the human scale. Genuine attention for one another and helping each other. Growing in the form of becoming a little better, wiser, more vulnerable, or more beautiful as a person, team, street, or company every day. In his book ‘Growing by Sharing’, 27 stories are included in which both well-known and unknown people confidently show their vulnerability. Relatable stories that resonate and make one realize that vulnerability is indeed strength.

With infectious energy, Allard shares personal stories and practical examples in a highly interactive manner that invites the audience to reflect on their work culture, as well as their personal growth.

What would it be like if everyone dared to put trust at the center?

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