Courageous Leadership & System Change: Facing Root Causes with Emotional Resilience - Jess Blijkers

How do we build new systems while still living in the old ones? In this episode, Jess Blijkers joins Omar Al Mamlouk to explore the inner shifts leaders must make to create meaningful system change. They discuss courageous leadership, emotional resilience, and the power of feedback in unlocking creativity and trust. From redefining growth and purpose to imagining the future of work, this conversation opens the door to seeing people not as resources, but as complex, creative human beings with endless potential. Jess Blijkers is the co-founder of enough.consulting, a company that supports the leaders who dare to redefine success and create the organisations our future really needs. After a 15 year career in international solidarity, her current work is facilitation at the intersection of collective action for system change, alternative economic models, and organisational transformation. Jess is also a singer-songwriter. 📲 Connect with us on LinkedIn: Jess Blijkers 🍉: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-blijkers/ Omar Al Mamlouk 🤝: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-al-mamlouk-🤝-8352a496/ 00:00 Intro 00:56 Understanding the Why Behind Our Actions 03:03 Courageous Leadership: A New Paradigm 06:13 System Change VS Inner Change 08:14 What is Courageous Leadership for Jess in practice 13:48 Redefining Growth and Success 18:48 The Importance of Purpose in Organizations 23:10 "Human Resources" is a term that we should NOT use 30:22 Just because it can't be measured, doesn't mean it doesn't matter! 33:44 Be radical! 35:27 The root cause of our problems 38:29 Navigating Emotional Vulnerability in Leadership 42:14 The Role of Creativity in Change 47:15 Navigating Social Media and Authenticity 49:57 Impact vs. Attention: A Balancing Act 55:41 Essential Skills for Future Leaders 58:27 Addressing Unconscious Bias in Leadership 01:05:13 Imagining the Future of Work 01:07:28 Call to Action: Understanding Root Causes 🌍 Follow the CORE Impact Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms – where each week I speak with change-makers about mental well-being, inclusive leadership, and the future of work. Because transformation doesn’t start at the surface. It starts at the CORE.