The World According to Jan

The Man Behind the Mind

Let’s start with who Jan is when the title goes away.

If someone asked you to describe Jan in a way that had nothing to do with his job title or credentials — who would you say he is?

What lights Jan up? When you see him at his most alive and energized — what is he talking about, doing, or thinking about?

Is there a story Jan tells again and again — one that seems to anchor who he is? The one he reaches for when he’s explaining something he really believes?

The Intellectual Architecture

What does Jan’s mind look like from where you sit?

If you had to name the 3–5 big ideas that Jan keeps coming back to — the recurring themes that run through his work and his thinking — what would they be?

Does Jan have a framework, a model, or a metaphor that he uses so often it’s practically his signature? Something people would associate with him?

What’s something Jan knows deeply but struggles to explain to others? The kind of knowledge that’s so embedded in him that it’s almost invisible.This is the tacit knowledge we’re trying to surface.

Has Jan’s thinking evolved or shifted significantly over the years? Is there something he used to believe that he no longer does?

The Tensions

The richest ideas often live in what’s unresolved.

Where does Jan get frustrated? What’s the thing about organizations, leadership, or the industry that he wishes he could fix but can’t seem to crack?

Is there something Jan undervalues about himself or his own ideas? Something you see clearly but he doesn’t?

When Jan and the rest of the world disagree — what hill does he die on? What’s his contrarian belief?

The Partnership

You’ve built Kaya together for over 20 years. That perspective is irreplaceable.

You and Jan have been partners in life and in business for 35 years. How do your minds work differently — and how does that difference make the work stronger?

When you think about what Kaya has contributed to the world that’s truly distinctive — what is it? What’s the thing only Kaya does?

Is there a moment in Kaya’s history — a client engagement, a breakthrough, even a failure — that you think best represents what you and Jan are about?

The Elder Wisdom

This is the heart of why we’re here.

You’re building a practice around helping retiring CEOs pass down their wisdom. What made you both realize this was needed? Was there a specific moment or conversation?

When you imagine the ideal outcome of this work with storylab — not just the deliverables, but the bigger picture — what does success look like for you and Jan?

If Jan’s wisdom could be passed to one person — a young leader somewhere in the world — what’s the one thing you’d want them to receive from him?

The Open Door

A space for whatever else is on your mind.

Is there anything I should know about Jan that I wouldn’t think to ask? A dimension of him that might surprise me?

Is there anything you want to make sure we get right in this process? Anything you’re hoping for — or anything you’re concerned about?

“The deepest insights often come from the person standing beside the genius.”

The World According to Jan

Thank you, Lianne.