1. 7 TIPS FOR THE NEW DUTCH KINGA N D A N YO N E E L S E W H O TA K E S OV E R A FA M I LY BU S I N E S S Prince Willem-Alexander has a heavy task ahead of him, especially sinceafter 33 years on the throne, Queen Beatrix is still considered the Queen thatnever made a mistake. A tough act to follow, but not impossible. Life & Business coach Eelco Smit provides the king-to-be with practical tips that should help him facilitate the transition to his new job.

2. 7 TIPS FOR THE NEW DUTCH KING Dont change everythingPeople who succeed someone, often tend to dramatically changecourse, as a sort of self-assertion. Dont! It is killing, and there is nofaster way to antagonize the masses. People will instantly resistanything you do and youll be outgunned before you have even begun. 3. 7 TIPS FOR THE NEW DUTCH KING Get to know your bossEvery man may meet his match, or in other words, everyone has a boss. Icoach a lot of managers and executives, and almost every time, they havesomeone above them they have to answer to. Prince Willem Alexander?He has a boss as well, Prime Minister Mark Rutte. It is wise to get to know that boss. Make sure you know what he wants, what he is like, whathis vision is. But first and foremost: how far you can go. 4. 7 TIPS FOR THE NEW DUTCH KING Have a clear visionPower doesnt just fall from the sky, power is action + vision. In this day andage, people wont just follow someone, youll only follow someone if youknow what he represents and where he is heading. An important part of thatvision may be the role of the royal family in the Netherlands, and the role ofthe king within that. Without vision, the power of a leader will diminishrapidly. Willem Alexander has to have a clear vision, however, he must makesure this vision doesnt clash with the vision of his boss (remember, that bosshe now knows very well)! 5. 7 TIPS FORTHE NEW DUTCH KING Pick low-hanging fruitsGo for small, easy victories that have an immediate positive effect onyour image. Find out what people disliked about your predecessor(Queen Beatrix in this case) and do a better job at it. How aboutvisiting the troops every once in a while, that always works well! 6. 7 TIPS FORTHE NEW DUTCH KING Know your friends and your foesWhenever you rise to power somewhere, youll instantly find three kindsof people. Your friends, your enemies and the people who couldnt careless what you do. The first group is a group to keep close, however, asMachiavelli once aptly put: you should keep your enemies even closer.Make sure that you know where to find your aid and your resistance. Thethird group? Let them drown in their indifference, they wont bother you,nor help you. 7. 7 TIPS FORTHE NEW DUTCH KING Be visibleOne of the most important tips, especially in the case of the RoyalFamily. If nobody ever sees you, they will question the reason of your(official) existence and why they pay millions of Euros a year tosustain your presence. You are a public figure so make sure to be justthat: public. Be visible, attend events and ceremonies, fulfill yourceremonial task to the fullest. The more people get to see of you, theless they will question what it is that you do. 8. 7 TIPS FOR THE NEW DUTCH KING Dare to make decisionsIn particular when taking over a family business, which, in fact, is what theprince is doing, the biggest burden may be that your predecessors arelooking over your shoulders. Deal with that as soon as possible. Beatrixmay serve as a mentor, however, Willem Alexander and his mother shouldnot sit on the throne together. Willem Alexander should make his owndecisions, according to his own visions, and that takes a lot of courage.Should he need help with that, he can always consult my book : Book forMEN- dare to make real decisions.