The power of cooperation in practice
During the 2024 Leadership Day, a special hammer changed owners: the 2-meter tall hammer symbolizes cooperation and shared leadership. Walter Deelen, the director of Mourik’s Infra division, presented the hammer to Dennis Zijlmans, who oversees our Industry division, as a token of appreciation for the successful cooperation at Neste.
Stronger together than apart
Every year, Mourik organizes a Leadership Day. On the occasion of a previous Leadership Day, a hammer was presented with the inscription ‘Building Trust’. Walter thinks this is a powerful symbol: ‘I see it as follows: you hand over the hammer to someone who takes over your role.’
But the 2-meter-tall hammer in his office required a different approach. ‘This large hammer was not intended for one person; it had to rotate among the various divisions. It symbolizes cooperation’, Walter explains.
The Leadership Day provided the perfect opportunity. ‘Leadership is not just about supervising a team, it’s about working together’, says Walter. ‘At Neste, the cooperation went seamlessly. We would not have achieved these results if we had worked separately. Together you can achieve more than when you work alone. A great example that we felt needed to be acknowledged with the big hammer.’
Acknowledgment of cross-divisional cooperation
The hammer was presented during the Leadership Day. ‘The hammer was intended for Marcel de Jong, Business Unit Manager at Mourik Industry, and his team. He facilitated the cooperation between the various divisions on the project at Neste and is the customer’s single point of contact. That is how we like to work. However, Marcel was unable to attend the ceremony’, Dennis explains.
‘I am proud that Marcel and his team have received this acknowledgment. It was more than a gesture; it shows how we cooperate within Mourik. It’s about recognition, about connection between teams. Marcel and his team do a great job on location and ensure that the other divisions can also continue to do their job’, Dennis continues.
Dennis thinks the presentation of the big hammer is the start of a great tradition: ‘I promise that it will go to a different division next year. This is consistent with our idea that the company overall benefits and improves. If we eliminate silos, we can achieve great results.’
‘Leadership is not just about supervising a team, it’s about working together.’
