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CX Leadership without hierarchy: How to scale Customer Experience across countries

Scaling Customer Experience within one organisation can already be complex. Scaling it across 17 European affiliates, each with its own culture, priorities and level of CX maturity, adds a completely different leadership challenge.

You cannot simply develop a strategy at headquarters and expect every country to embrace it. People need to understand the direction, see how it relates to their local reality and feel ownership of the actions that follow.

That is where CX leadership without hierarchy becomes essential.

In an episode of CX Leadership Talks, I spoke with Nicoline Valk, Department Manager Customer Experience at Daikin Europe. Nicoline and her team have built a European CX approach by listening, connecting people, creating visibility and helping local teams turn customer feedback into action.

Their experience offers valuable lessons for every CX leader who works across departments, business units, countries or cultures.

CX leadership starts with understanding the organisation

When Nicoline began her European CX role, she did not start by introducing a finished framework. Her first weeks were filled with conversations.

She spoke with managers at headquarters, colleagues in factories, service departments, sales teams and people working within the different European affiliates. Some countries already had experience with Customer Experience. Others were still at the beginning. There was no shared European approach connecting these efforts.

Listening helped Nicoline understand what was already happening, where support existed and which people could become part of a broader CX network.

This sounds simple, yet many CX leaders feel pressure to show progress quickly. They start developing surveys, dashboards, journey maps or improvement programs before they fully understand the organisation in which those initiatives need to succeed.

A strong CX strategy needs that organisational understanding. Who already believes in the importance of Customer Experience? Where is relevant knowledge available? Which teams need to work together? Who can help translate the central ambition into local action?

The answers rarely sit within the CX department alone.

From operational leadership to influence

Before moving into her European CX role, Nicoline was responsible for operations and customer service at Daikin Netherlands. That experience taught her how processes work, how decisions affect teams and systems, and how to turn plans into results.

Her new role required a different leadership style.

Operational leadership often comes with direct responsibility for teams, targets and daily performance. An international CX role depends much more on influence. Nicoline needed to build bridges between headquarters and affiliates, connect sales, service and production, and engage people who did not report directly to her.

This is one of the most important shifts in CX leadership without hierarchy: your impact depends on the quality of your relationships and your ability to create shared meaning.

You still want results. The way you achieve them changes.

Build a network that can carry CX

A small central CX team cannot create customer centricity across Europe on its own. The network around that team becomes part of the CX infrastructure.

At Daikin Europe, that network connects people from different countries, functions and levels of the organisation. Management support plays an important role because local CX colleagues need time, capacity and permission to follow up on customer insights.

Nicoline’s team also creates opportunities for affiliates to learn from one another. Countries can share what they have tried, what worked and which lessons others can use. This prevents every affiliate from having to solve the same problems independently.

I experienced the strength of this network firsthand when I spoke at Daikin Europe’s CX Seminar. The energy, openness and genuine sense of community stood out. People were willing to share experiences and talk honestly about their challenges. You could feel that they were building CX together.

That sense of connection did not appear by accident. It grew through consistent attention and a clear communication rhythm.

Visibility keeps Customer Experience on the agenda

CX leaders often work hard behind the scenes. They analyse feedback, support projects, facilitate sessions and advise teams. When this work remains largely invisible, people elsewhere in the organisation can easily lose sight of the broader CX movement.

Visibility helps colleagues understand what is happening, why it matters and how they can contribute.

Daikin Europe uses a combination of newsletters, monthly CX calls, affiliate meetings, customer visits, internal events and shared action plans. These touchpoints keep the network connected and make successes visible across the organisation.

Over time, something important starts to happen: colleagues begin to invite the CX team into conversations. They use customer insights in their own presentations. They create action plans and ask for feedback. CX starts appearing on agendas without the central team having to push it forward every time.

That is a more meaningful sign of progress than a score alone. It shows that Customer Experience is becoming part of how the organisation works.

Combine a central framework with local ownership

Working across countries creates a natural tension. A central approach brings direction, consistency and the ability to learn across the organisation. Local teams understand their customers, culture and market conditions far better than headquarters ever can.

Daikin Europe combines both.

Customer research and important touchpoints can be organised centrally, while affiliates retain space to interpret feedback and determine relevant local actions. Teams focus on a manageable number of priorities and use customer visits to understand what sits behind the survey results.

This balance matters. A CX program becomes difficult to scale when every country creates its own approach. A rigid central program can struggle to gain local commitment. Shared direction and local ownership allow both consistency and relevance.

For CX leaders, this means creating clarity around the elements that should be shared and the decisions that belong closer to the customer.

Omotenashi as a starting point

The conversation with Nicoline begins with the Japanese concept of omotenashi: genuinely taking care of another person, paying attention and anticipating what they might need.

As a Japanese company, Daikin has a natural connection to this philosophy. Translating it into daily behaviour across different European cultures still requires deliberate leadership.

A value only becomes meaningful when people can recognise it in decisions, processes and customer interactions. CX leaders help make that translation. They connect the organisation’s ambitions with what customers experience in practice.

That may involve large strategic changes. It can also begin with what Steven Van Belleghem calls “friction hunting”: finding small frustrations in the customer experience and taking concrete action to remove them.

Progress grows when people see that customer feedback leads somewhere.

What does CX leadership without hierarchy ask from you?

Nicoline’s story shows that scaling Customer Experience involves far more than rolling out tools or processes. It asks CX leaders to listen carefully, build relationships, create a visible rhythm and make it easier for others to take ownership.

Consider your own organisation:

  • Do you have a strong internal network around CX?
  • Are the right leaders actively supporting the work?
  • Can colleagues see the progress being made?
  • Do teams learn from one another?
  • Is there enough space for local ownership?
  • How often do you personally stay close to customers?

Your answers reveal a great deal about your ability to scale CX.

In our conversation, Nicoline shares how she built this approach across 17 European affiliates, what she would do differently if she started again and how the experience changed her own leadership.

Listen to the full episode of CX Leadership Talks: How Daikin scaled Customer Experience across Europe – CX Leadership insights with Nicoline Valk here.

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

/door
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Inside the ANI model: What Authority, Narrative and Impact really ask of you

I was recording a podcast episode from a tiny house on Texel, hiding from a 37-degree heatwave. No studio. No air conditioning. Just me, my laptop, and a friend who stopped me from melting. And from that little island, I went somewhere I hadn’t gone before, not just explaining the ANI Model, but going inside each layer and showing what it actually demands of you.

Let me take you there now.

First, a quick reminder: what ANI actually is

ANI is a Japanese word for a respectable older brother. Not the loud one. The one a few steps ahead, showing the way quietly, with certainty. That is who CX leaders need to become. Not someone who knows more CX tools. Not someone who survives another reorganisation. Someone the organisation genuinely listens to. Someone who leads, not just manages.

ANI has three layers: Authority, Narrative, Impact. And what I want to do here is go inside each one, because the surface explanation isn’t enough. Each layer is asking something specific of you. Something that might be uncomfortable to look at.

The ANI CX leadership model

A is for Authority: Who you are as CX leader

Here’s the thing about authority. It has two sides, and most CX leaders only think about one.

External authority is how others see you. Are you invited to the strategy table? Does the C-suite see you as a partner, or are you the person they hire a consultancy to replace? That one stings. But it’s worth asking honestly.

Internal authority is how you see yourself. Do you have the confidence to move forward, even when the room isn’t sure about you yet? Do you believe your own voice before you ask anyone else to?

The uncomfortable truth: you cannot build external authority while your internal authority is shaky. It doesn’t work that way. People feel the gap. Your hesitation leaks through. Your framing becomes tentative. You shrink the idea before you’ve even said it out loud.

The gap between Level 3 CX Manager and Level 4 CX Leader, the place where most CX professionals get completely stuck, is not a skills gap. You know enough. You have the data. You understand the frameworks. It’s a leadership identity gap. You are waiting for permission to lead. And nobody is going to give it to you.

Authority begins the moment you decide you are no longer waiting.

I know that voice in your head. I had it when I was a CX leader. I still have it now, especially when I post something bold on LinkedIn and the pushback comes. And every time, I have to make a choice: let the doubt win, or stand anyway.

THAT is the choice authority asks of you. Every. Single. Time.

N is for Narrative: How you lead

Authority gets you in the room.

Narrative is what you do once you’re there.

Here is a truth I have watched play out in organisations across the world: insight without narrative has no influence. You can have the most rigorous data in the building. You can know exactly where the friction is, what it costs, what needs to change. And if you cannot turn that into a story your organisation wants to follow, nothing moves.

CX leaders often have all the ingredients and no story. They have the research but not the roadmap. They have the customer feedback but not the change narrative. They have the numbers but not the business case that makes a CFO lean forward.

Think of yourself as the captain of a ship. You know where you are going. You know the conditions. But if your crew doesn’t understand the destination, or why it matters, or how you’re getting there, they are not sailing with you. They are just standing on the deck.

Your CX story, your strategy map, your business case, those are your instruments. Not documents to be filed. Instruments you actually use, in the room, with the people who need to follow you.

The moment you stop explaining CX and start leading it through a clear, consistent narrative, something shifts. People stop nodding politely and start moving.

That shift is Narrative.

I is for Impact: What value you deliver

This is where leadership becomes visible.

Impact has three parts, and all three matter.

Delivering results means business value and customer value. Euros, NPS, reduced calls, increased retention, your currency, measured, owned, communicated.

Scaling CX means building methodologies that repeat without you. Closing the loop. Journey mapping. Friction hunting. These are not one-time workshops. They are disciplines you install so that the experience stays consistent even when you are not in the room.

Embedding CX means it becomes part of how the business operates. Not a department. Not a project. A way of working. This happens through small experiments your teams can actually run, not through one giant programme that exhausts everyone and finishes nothing.

And then there’s the part that most CX leaders avoid talking about.

Accountability.

Most of us are running on a hamster wheel of calendars. Busy from 8.30 to whenever. Full days, full weeks. And still not delivering the things that matter most.

At KPN, I ran accountability calls, just thirty minutes once a month. They changed me more than almost anything else in my career. Not because someone was checking on me. Because I was checking on myself. Saying out loud what I had committed to. Sitting with the gap between what I promised and what I delivered.

It was uncomfortable. It was also transformational.

You don’t need my exact format. But you need your version of that. Because the leaders I admire most are not the busiest. They are the ones who own their outcomes and deliver what they promise.

That is Impact.

The real question ANI asks

CX will keep evolving. New tools, new AI, new methodologies, all of it coming at you. But the biggest lever you have is not a tool. It is you. Your leadership.

Authority. Narrative. Impact.

Not a checklist. A journey. From CX Manager to the Strategic CX Leader your organisation actually listens to.

You become the ANI. The one a few steps ahead, showing the way.

There will be storms. There always are. But you know where you’re going.

So go and want to listen to the podcast: this is the link.

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

/door
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CX technology is not the problem. Leadership is.

If there’s one topic that consistently makes CX leaders sigh, hesitate or quietly roll their eyes, it’s technology. 

Another tool.
Another dashboard.
Another promise that this time it will all work. 

And yet, technology keeps showing up in board conversations, budget discussions and strategy decks. Especially now, with AI, predictive analytics and data suddenly back at the top of the agenda. 

That’s exactly why I invited James O’Connor to the CX Leadership Talks podcast. 

James has been shaping the CX profession from its early days. He was one of the first CX advisors at Forrester, later worked at Bain & Company, and has spent more than two decades helping organisations connect customer insight to real business decisions. 

We didn’t talk about tools.
We talked about why CX leaders struggle with technology in the first place. 

And that made this conversation both refreshing and slightly uncomfortable in the best possible way. 

Why this episode matters 

In our conversation, one thing became very clear:
Most CX technology does not fail because it’s bad.
It fails because it’s applied in isolation, without leadership, context or a clear business story. 

James has seen brilliant technology fail and “good enough” technology succeed. The difference is never the tool. It’s how leaders think, decide and connect the dots across the organisation. 

Here are three powerful lessons from the episode that every CX leader should hear. 

Lesson 1: Stop buying Ferraris for dirt roads 

One of the most striking metaphors James used is one many CX leaders will instantly recognise. 

Organisations buy incredibly sophisticated CX tools and then try to drive them over bumpy organisational roads. Limited skills, unclear ownership, weak operating models and little connection to business priorities. 

The result:
High expectations
Low adoption
And a quiet sense of disappointment 

The lesson:
Before investing in more technology, invest in clarity. What decision should this enable? What business question should it answer? And who will actually use it? 

Sometimes a solid Volkswagen gets you further than a Ferrari. 

Lesson 2: Your operating model matters more than your tools 

Technology does not live in a vacuum. It either lands in fertile soil or it lands in the desert. 

James explains why CX leaders should spend less time obsessing over tools and more time strengthening their operating model. How teams work together. How decisions are made. How insights flow into existing dashboards and systems the business already uses. 

If your operating model is strong, even imperfect technology can thrive.
If it’s weak, the best tools in the market won’t save you. 

This is where CX leadership moves from managing initiatives to shaping how the organisation actually operates. 

Lesson 3: Authority comes from business impact, not CX language 

One of my favourite moments in the conversation was when James talked about language. 

Boards don’t need more CX dashboards.
Executives don’t want another CX tool. 

They want answers.
Where are we losing customers?
Where are returns diminishing?
What should we stop, start or change? 

CX leaders who create authority are the ones who translate customer insight into business impact. Who connect CX data to commercial, operational and financial reality. And who know when to stop talking CX and start talking business. 

That is where technology becomes an accelerator instead of a distraction. 

A conversation every CX leader should hear

This episode is honest, practical and grounded in real experience. No hype. No vendor talk. Just leadership, clarity and a sharp look at how CX technology can actually work for you. 

Listen to the full episode of CX Leadership Talks with James O’Connor here and discover how to turn technology from a headache into a leadership advantage. 

If you’re a CX leader who wants more impact with what you already have, this one is for you.

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

 

/door
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Plan your brilliant 2026 as a CX leader 

Let’s be honest: January can feel like a sprint before you’ve even tied your shoes.
But what if you took one hour to slow down and look ahead, with intention? 

Not with a list of fluffy goals.
But with sharp choices that help you lead strategically. 

In the newest episode of CX Leadership Talks, I guide you through a working session to design your 2026 CX leadership year.
This year’s theme? Strategizing CX.

Because you and I both know: CX doesn’t just need energy.
It needs direction. 

What we cover
I walk you through the five must-win battles every CX leader should define: 

    1. Impact and results – where will you truly move the needle when it comes to results?
    2. Strategy, vision and purpose – from an organizational CX view, what’s your plan, and how will you execute it?
    3. Engagement and cultural change – who needs to be part of the movement, how do you get behavioral CX going?
    4. Personal growth and development – what will you learn, claim, or stretch into as a CX leader?
    5. Work-life balance and well-being – how do you make space for strategic thinking and joy?

At the end, you’ll choose your strategic focus for the year and write yourself a letter from December 2026, already proud of what you’ve done. 

Your move
This episode isn’t background noise.
It’s a planning session. So grab a pen, a journal, or your favourite thinking spot, and press play. 

Listen this episode here or search CX Leadership Talks wherever you get your podcasts. 

Let’s make 2026 not just another busy year, but a brilliant, strategic one. I am here to help. Are you in? 

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

/door
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Reflect on your 2025 as a CX leader

Let’s be honest: December can feel like a race to the finish, filled with deadlines, dashboards, and one too many “quick syncs.”
But what if you took one hour to look back, with focus and clarity?

Not with a year-end checklist.
But with deep questions that spark real insight.

In the latest episode of CX Leadership Talks, I take you on a reflective journey through your 2025 as a CX leader.

This year’s theme? Looking back to lead forward.

Because you and I both know:
You can’t lead the future of CX if you haven’t made sense of the year behind you.

What we cover
I guide you through five key areas every CX leader should reflect on:

  1. Impact and results – What truly moved the needle? What results did you deliver for customers, colleagues, and the business?
  2. Strategy, vision and purpose – Was your CX work aligned with the bigger picture? Did you lead with purpose?
  3. Engagement and cultural change – Who did you inspire? Where did you shift mindsets and behavior?
  4. Personal growth and leadership – Where did you stretch, learn, or lead differently? What are you most proud of?
  5. Work-life balance and well-being – How did you take care of your energy, your joy, and your thinking space?

And of course:
At the end of the episode, I’ll invite you to choose a movie title for your 2025, a creative and powerful way to summarize your leadership story this year.

Your move
This isn’t just another podcast to play while answering email.
It’s a guided session. So grab your journal, pour a tea (or wine, no judgement ;-)), and reflect with me.

Listen this episode here or search CX Leadership Talks wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you’d rather journal quietly?
Download the full question list here or try the AI prompt to generate your movie title for the year.

Let’s close 2025 with clarity. Because when you know where you come from, you most certainly can plan where you are going.
You’ve earned this moment.
Let’s make it count.

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

 

/door
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Lead your leaders – The mindset shift every CX leader needs

There’s something I’ve noticed again and again in CX.
And I’ve done it myself too. 

We love to talk about leaders.
How “they don’t get it.”
How “they only care about KPIs.”
How “they never spend time with customers.” 

Sound familiar? 

For years, I did exactly that. I complained, rolled my eyes, and pointed out what wasn’t working. Until one moment changed everything. 

It was 2013, Valentine’s Day season, when I was leading CX at KPN. I had written a blog about a wonderful customer interaction and someone asked, “Why isn’t your CEO responding to this?” I shrugged it off, saying, “He should know about it!” 

But my boyfriend at the time looked at me and asked,
“So, Nienke, did you actually tell him about it?” 

That question hit me like a brick.
Because no, I hadn’t. 

I expected leadership to “get it,” without ever helping them get there. 

That moment made me realise something fundamental:
As CX leaders, we can either judge or join.
We can either stand on the sidelines… or help leaders lead. 

It’s so easy to point out what’s wrong.
Much harder, and much more powerful, to step in and make things right. 

From that day on, I started asking myself:
* How can I make it easier for leaders to connect with customers?
* How can I help them make confident decisions on CX topics?
* How can I show up as a human partner, not just “the CX person”? 

It all starts with a mindset shift.
From frustration to facilitation.
From blaming to bridging. 

Because when we build bridges with our leaders, everything changes.
CX becomes easier. Decisions move faster. And you’re no longer the lonely voice of the customer,  you’re part of the leadership that drives real change. 

If this resonates with you, I invite you to listen to my newest podcast episode of CX Leadership Talks, called Lead your leaders. 

In it, I share the full Valentine’s Day story (including a bold email to the CEO that almost gave me a heart attack) and three practical ways to turn this mindset shift into action. 

Listen to the episode here.

And while you listen, reflect on this:
Who’s one leader in your organization you could help this week?
Maybe by simplifying a decision, planning a customer visit, or just sending a thoughtful note. 

Because the moment you start leading your leaders, that’s when CX leadership truly begins.

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

 

/door
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What if CX leadership was more about heart than KPIs?

Five leadership lessons from Ted Lasso

Some evenings, when my brain is full of frameworks, KPIs and CX strategies, I love to switch off and watch a good TV show. Lately, I’ve been back to one of my all-time favourites: Ted Lasso.

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the short version. Ted is a cheerful American coach who suddenly finds himself leading an English football team. He knows nothing about soccer, not even the offside rule, but he knows everything about people. And that, my friends, is exactly where true leadership starts.

As I rewatched the series from my sunny spot in the south of France, I couldn’t help but think how much we as CX leaders could learn from Ted. Because let’s be honest, too often we hide behind dashboards, playbooks and metrics. They matter, of course, but CX leadership isn’t just about managing systems. It’s about leading people with heart.

Here are my five favourite leadership lessons from Ted Lasso that every CX leader can use to spice up their leadership.

  1. Be a goldfish

Ted tells one of his players, “You know what the happiest animal on earth is? A goldfish. You know why? It’s got a ten second memory.”
As CX leaders, we all make mistakes. A presentation that flops. A stakeholder who says CX is too fluffy. A budget request that gets rejected. The key is to learn fast, forgive fast and move on. Being a goldfish doesn’t mean ignoring failure. It means releasing it quickly so you can keep leading forward.

  1. Believe in your team

Ted believes in his players even when they’re losing. Belief is not blind optimism, it’s seeing potential before it’s proven. In CX, we need that same belief in our teams, in our colleagues and in the leaders who are still learning to care about customers. Belief builds courage. Evaluation builds fear. And customer centric cultures thrive on courage.

  1. Be curious, not judgmental

This is one of Ted’s favourite quotes, and one of mine too.
As CX leaders, we often judge. We judge leaders who don’t get it. We judge customers who complain. We judge colleagues who resist change. But judgment closes doors. Curiosity opens them. Next time you face resistance, pause and ask, “What’s really going on here?” Curiosity shifts energy from defensiveness to discovery and that’s where transformation begins.

  1. Find your biscuits

Every morning, Ted brings his boss a pink box of biscuits. Small, consistent gestures that show care and build trust.
In CX, our biscuits are those thoughtful little rituals that build connection. Maybe it’s how you start your team meetings with appreciation, how you celebrate progress or how you share a great customer story. Small gestures build big trust.

  1. Laugh at yourself

Ted never pretends to have it all figured out. He laughs at himself. He admits when he doesn’t know something. And people love him for it.
As CX leaders, we often feel the pressure to know everything, the data, the strategy, the roadmap. But authenticity beats perfection every time. Laugh at yourself, share your lessons and others will follow your lead with more openness and joy.

So what if CX leadership really was more about heart than KPIs

Ted didn’t win by knowing football. He won by knowing people. And that’s what CX leadership is all about, creating an environment where people want to play the game of customer centricity.

Because the truth is simple. We can only win when everyone’s in.

So here’s my invitation to you. Bring a little Ted Lasso energy into your week. Believe more, judge less and keep leading with heart.

Want to dive deeper?

Listen to this episode of CX Leadership Talks: What if CX leadership was more about heart than KPIs? Five lessons from Ted Lasso on your favourite podcast platform.

Listen to the episode here

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

 

/door
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The five life trends 2025 – A conversation with Bart Verouden, CCXP

The world of customer experience does not stand still. Expectations shift, technology evolves, and trust is always being tested. As CX leaders, it is our job to look beyond the day-to-day and spot the signals of what is coming. 

That is exactly why I invited Bart Verouden, CCXP, Senior Manager Innovation & Business Development at Accenture, to join me on the CX Leadership Talks podcast. Bart is a Lean Black Belt, a lifelong learner, and part of the team at Accenture Song that publishes the annual Life Trends Report.

I will be honest. I have seen plenty of trend reports in my career. Some are fluffy, others too abstract. But when Bart first presented the Life Trends Report at a CXPA session, I was blown away. His ability to make complexity simple, while connecting the dots between research, human behavior and practical action, makes these trends not just interesting but essential. 

The five life trends for 2025

  1. The cost of hesitation
    Fake news, deepfakes and scams are everywhere. More than half of people worldwide have seen false or misleading content online. This erosion of trust leads to hesitation. Customers pause before clicking, buying or sharing. For CX leaders the challenge is clear. Build confidence, remove doubts and make every interaction trustworthy.My reflection: Recently I received an email from my bank about a refund. My very first thought was “this must be a scam.” Only after checking in the banking app did I believe it was real. That immediate hesitation shows how fragile trust has become. 
  1. The parent trap
    Parents today are raising children in a digital world without a playbook. Technology brings connection and learning, but also risks. People expect companies to take responsibility by setting safer defaults, creating transparent products and guiding healthier digital habits. CX leaders can play a role here by shaping ethical and family friendly experiences.My reflection: I see it with my 12 year old stepson. He plays Roblox and other online games that I hardly understand. As parents we cannot guide everything, so companies must think carefully about their role in shaping safe and healthy digital habits. 
  1. The impatience economy
    We live in an age of instant answers. Influencers thrive because they are quick and relatable, while traditional institutions often move too slowly. Customers expect the same speed from brands but without losing depth and quality. This trend challenges us to rethink communication. Short, sharp, trustworthy and delivered in the right format.My reflection: At our CX Masterclass, participants often have practical questions. I used to answer them one by one by email, but now I built a chatbot that gives 99 percent of the answers immediately. People no longer have to wait, and the friction is gone. That is impatience economy in action. 
  1. The dignity of work
    Happy employees create memorable customer moments. Disengaged ones make experiences feel purely transactional. More organizations are finally seeing the direct link between employee experience and customer experience. For leaders this means investing in autonomy, trust and meaningful work. Dignity flows directly into every customer interaction.My reflection: In Gothenburg I returned three times to the same restaurant. The food was excellent, but the waiter never once acknowledged us as regular guests. No smile, no “welcome back.” It turned every visit into a transaction. Dignity of work matters, because it shows in every customer moment. 
  1. Social media rewilding
    After years of everything digital, people are craving more authentic and real-world connections. It is not about abandoning technology but about balance. Customers want digital tools that support their lives, not replace them. For brands the challenge is to create joy offline as well as online, blending convenience with human touch.My reflection: I notice this myself on LinkedIn. Posts where I share something personal often get far more interaction than pure content posts. People crave authenticity. They want to see the human behind the professional, and brands should never forget that. 

Why this matters for CX leaders 

These are not buzzwords. Each trend reflects a shift in how people behave, what they expect and how organizations must respond. As Bart puts it, growth follows when people feel understood. 

For me, that is the essence of CX leadership. Understanding people, whether customers, employees or society, and then designing experiences around real needs. 

Listen to the episode 

If you want to stay ahead as a CX leader and prepare your organization for what is next, this episode is for you. 

You can listen the full episode here.

And please let me know: which of these five trends resonates most with you and your organization? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Newsletter.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned. 

 

/door
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CX Leadership this summer: The power of ONE

Summer is here. Or almost. And with that, things tend to slow down. Calendars are lighter, inboxes quieter, and if we’re lucky, there’s a little more room to breathe. It’s a perfect moment for reflection. And for taking a different kind of CX leadership action.

Not by launching new programs or crafting complex roadmaps.
But by doing something smaller. Much smaller.

Something I call the Power of ONE.

What is the Power of ONE?

It’s a mindset I’ve embraced in my own work recently. Especially when doubt creeps in.
When I wonder if this newsletter reaches people. If my podcast episode lands. If I am doing enough.
And then someone tells me. They listened. They acted. They felt inspired. That’s when I remind myself:

If I inspired one person, it’s a success.

That’s the Power of ONE.

But this isn’t just about me. This is for you too. Especially if you are a CX leader.

Your summer challenge

In my latest podcast episode, I invite you to take CX leadership in a different direction this summer.

The episode is called:
CX Micro-Missions: Scale is overrated. Start small. Start now.

And in it, I share three simple CX missions. Each one includes practical actions you can take right away.
Think of ideas like:

  • Call one customer who gave tough feedback.
  • Send a handwritten thank-you to a long-time client.
  • Share a short story that brings CX to life.
  • Thank a quiet hero on your team.
  • Reflect on one mistake and share what it taught you.

These are small things. But they build connection. They build trust. They create a ripple.

The inspiration for this episode came from a Harvard Business article on leadership and trust.
It said that leaders set the tone for culture through their actions.
That authenticity, transparency and vulnerability are key ingredients for trust.
And trust is what fuels change.

How to join the challenge

Here’s my summer challenge for you.
For every week that you work this summer, pick one of the micro-actions from the episode. Just one. And do it.

You don’t need a plan. You don’t need a project. You just need to act.

And I am curious. What will your ripple look like?

Listen to the episode

CX Micro-Missions: Scale is Overrated. Start Small. Start Now.

Let’s keep it human. Let’s keep it simple.
Let’s start small. Let’s start now.

Want more CX leadership insights? Connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Greetz.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned. 

 

/door
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What female CX leaders can learn from the rules nobody teaches you

On this week’s podcast, something different. For once… it’s in Dutch. Why? Because the topic we discussed hit close to home and needed to be said the way we say things here: clear, direct, and with a touch of gezelligheid.
But don’t worry – here’s the essence in English. Because whether you speak Dutch or not, this is a game you’ll want to win.

The game no one told you about

Together with Elisa de Groot, gender diversity expert and co-founder of InTouch Female Leadership & Career Academy, we talked about the game being played in most organizations. The one with unwritten rules, hidden power plays, and archetypes that influence who gets the credit, who gets promoted, and who is simply… ignored.

Elisa has been helping women navigate these dynamics for nearly 30 years. And she’s not about pretending to be someone else. She’s about helping women expand their behavioral toolkit, so they don’t just work hard, but work smart.

For CX and customer service leaders: this is for you

As women in customer experience, we often lead with purpose, passion, and content. But when we don’t see our ideas landing, or we get passed over for opportunities, or we discover someone else is earning more for the same work, that hurts. Been there, done that. And I shared my own story on the podcast.

Key takeaways you should know:

  • Success isn’t just about your content, it’s about how you play the organizational game.
  • Influence starts with visibility. Stop hiding your ambition. Speak it out loud.
  • Strategic doesn’t mean inauthentic. It means using both your feminine and masculine qualities.
  • Start small. Try keeping a weekly “Tadaa notebook” where you list your successes. (Brilliant tip from Elisa.)

Why this matters

Because when women in CX rise, organizations get better. Customers are served with empathy and strategy. Teams get stronger. And let’s be honest: you deserve the recognition, salary, and authority that matches your talent.

Want more?

Elisa and I are co-hosting a Dutch masterclass on Stratego for Women on November 18. If you’re in the Netherlands (and speak Dutch) and want to expand your influence as a CX leader – you’re very welcome. Click here for more info.

And even if you don’t speak Dutch: this episode is a powerful reminder to look beyond your to-do list and start playing the bigger game.

Now it’s your turn.

What’s one thing you can do today to act more strategically?

Let me know – I love hearing from you.

Want more CX leadership insights? Listen to the full episode, connect with me on LinkedIn, and sign up for my weekly CX Greetz.

Until next time, keep spicing up your Customer Experience leadership.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She’s a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person voor CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned. 

 

/door