Why information overload is not a problem, how to be an effective leader through silence, and reading synopses of every book you've ever wanted to read.
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WEDNESDAY 11 MAR 2020 | EDITION 57
Did you know you can buy yourself a knighthood? The world’s smallest nation, Sealand, is situated off the coast of the UK and sells titles such as Duke or Duchess for as little as €120. Unfortunately, there aren’t any nations that currently recognize Sealand as an official country, so you may still need to challenge people to a trial by combat if they refuse to address you by your new title.
THING OF THE WEEK
BLINKIST

BLINKIST

Helpful spoilers for books you won’t ever read

Love books, but don’t have the time to read them cover to cover? Blinkist provides key takeaways from the world’s best nonfiction books in both text and audio formats, helping you sound less like a Neanderthal when somebody asks you what you’re reading. Over 3,000 titles have been condensed into 15-minute brain dumps.

YOUR WEEKLY PRESCRIPTION
WHY INFORMATION OVERLOAD IS A FAKE PROBLEM

WHY INFORMATION OVERLOAD IS A FAKE PROBLEM

4-minute read | Scott Young

Google now indexes more than a million terabytes of webpages, and many people are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that’s available on the internet. This blog post breaks down why this onslaught of information isn’t a problem — and argues we need to focus on the growth of new ideas instead.

WHAT LOSING MY VOICE TAUGHT ME ABOUT LEADERSHIP

WHAT LOSING MY VOICE TAUGHT ME ABOUT LEADERSHIP

3-minute read | Darius Foroux

The old saying goes that sometimes the quietest words are heard the loudest. But what happens when you’re sick and lose your voice altogether? In this article, the author reflects on how staying quiet not only makes you appreciate your voice more, but improves your communication and turns you into a better leader too.

EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA

MEET THE COMMUNITY
Each week, we profile a Zoku community member - hit reply if you'd like to be featured!
Anneliek Sijbrandij
Anneliek Sijbrandij started her career in the law industry as a tax lawyer and then working for Deloitte for a large part of her career. While on a sabbatical in Verbier, Anneliek chose to do a career switch and move to her passion of the arts and founded the non-profit Verbier Art Summit in 2013. Anneliek is now based near Amsterdam and has become the president and treasurer of the Association. Anneliek was one of the first WorkZoku members at Zoku Amsterdam, being a member since 2017, and has become a much loved member of the Zoku community.
What path has your career taken?
I studied Law at the University of Groningen and joined Andersen Amsterdam as a tax lawyer in 2000. Seconded to London in 2002, I continued to work for professional services firm Deloitte for over 10 years. In 2012, I followed my passion for art and studied Modern & Contemporary Art and art world practice in London. Whilst on sabbatical in Verbier, Switzerland, in 2013, I founded the non-profit Verbier Art Summit, an annual think tank that functions as a catalyst for innovation and change through art, ‘the Davos of the art world’.

What is your relationship with Zoku Amsterdam, and what are your thoughts?
Zoku shares the same values as our organization: high standards, trust whilst also full of inspiration and fun. Zoku is a certified B-Corporation, which fits our 2020 Summit theme “Resource Hungry”, at the last Summit we looked at “Doing less, better and for longer”. It is wonderful to meet like-minded people here at Zoku Amsterdam, and I truly believe this working place helps our team to remain energized and inspired.

What’s a life-changing song, film, event or book you’d like to recommend to others?
On my sabbatical in Verbier I read “The Artist Way” by Julia Cameron, which definitely helped me when the plan for the Verbier Art Summit started to develop. After always being in touch with my analytical self, the book helped me to open up to my creative side, and I definitely like my new meaningful role so much more than my previous job!

What’s your current go-to product, service or app you would recommend to others?
I listen to podcasts quite a lot when I travel, and my recent discovery is "The Happiness Lab" with Yale professor Dr Laurie Santos, giving scientific research that changed the lives of thousands of students.

Which book/product have you gifted the most?
One of the books that impressed me most is "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" by Yuval Harari. His views on humanity really changed mine, and it strengthened my idea that after centuries of believing in politics and the economy, culture should become a more dominant factor in our global society.

What is one piece of advice or tip in your field of work that you want to give to people?
Art changes minds. At the Verbier Art Summit, we mix artists with innovative thinkers such as philosophers, writers and professors (depending on the theme), to generate new visions and initiatives. This year we had an ecological theme, and one of our institutional partners, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) showed how they now build their refugee camps with mud bricks instead of plastic tents. They were immediately advised by one of our speakers, the Swiss architect Philip Rahm, on the thickness of the bricks and how/where to place them, which was literally change in the making! So please watch our talks videos and get inspired by art yourself.


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