Complex challenges require more than individual solutions. At Novo Nordisk Netherlands, General Manager Sanne Groenemeijer set out to change how responsibility and decision-making were handled in daily practice. The goal was not to add new structures, but to shift how people worked together. Responsibility would no longer rest with one person, but be shared across the team.
What began as a leadership ambition developed into a year-long process of reflection and learning, supported by Allied Forces. Over time, the team built stronger collaboration, clearer agreements and greater trust, even while operating in a complex and demanding environment.
From central responsibility to shared ownership
“When a challenge came up, everyone looked to me for the solution,” Sanne Groenemeijer explains. That realization marked the starting point. The intention was not to step away from responsibility, but to distribute it differently. “The plan was to make everyone just as responsible as I am.”
Instead of leading from a distance, she chose to work as part of the team. “Rather than building a top-down, task-oriented organization, I joined the team.” Responsibility remained clear, but solutions were no longer expected from one person. They were developed together.
First understanding the team dynamics
Together with Allied Forces, the team took time to understand how they worked. Where were things getting stuck? What were they good at? What required attention or development? And what did the team hesitate to address?
These conversations formed the basis for a shared plan for the year. Progress was evaluated regularly by reflecting together on collaboration and effectiveness. “It is not about pointing out what goes wrong,” Groenemeijer says. “It is about improving what already works.”
Creating space for vulnerability
A key change was how feedback and improvement were approached. The focus shifted from shortcomings to development. “I am already doing things well, and we talk about how I can do them even better.” That made it easier to be open and honest.
Vulnerability became an important condition for change. Team members felt safe to look at their own behavior and patterns, knowing the purpose was learning, not judgment. The idea of extreme ownership supported this, not as a strict model, but as a personal responsibility to reflect on one’s own actions.
“What I really learned,” Groenemeijer reflects, “is that I always have control over myself.” That insight brought clarity both professionally and personally.
Clear agreements support better decisions
One concrete outcome of the process was a team contract. The team made explicit agreements about what mattered, how they wanted to work together, and what they could expect from one another. The contract is visible and used as a reference in daily practice.
“In a complex environment, things rarely go as planned.” Previously, decision-making often came back to one person. That changed. In a critical situation, the team was asked to come up with a plan themselves. “I stepped away,” Groenemeijer recalls. “That felt very uncomfortable at first.”
The result was faster decision-making and better discussions. “If I come up with the solution myself, others will follow it, but it is rarely the best option.” By clearly explaining the goal and trusting the team, ownership became shared in practice.
Different perspectives, shared learning
Team members experienced the process differently, depending on their background and experience. Some found letting go more difficult, others found it challenging to step forward. Those differences became part of the learning and strengthened the team.
Looking back, Groenemeijer feels the outcome went beyond expectations. “It is about us, not about working within a fixed model.” The focus was on how people function in a team, how goals are defined together, and how personal interests and ego can influence decisions.
“If you are willing to let that go, based on trust,” she concludes, “you create better conversations and better outcomes.”
By choosing shared responsibility over individual control, Novo Nordisk Netherlands strengthened collaboration, decision-making and trust within the team. In a complex and fast-changing environment, this way of working has become an important foundation for sustainable performance.
