Mireille Bergraaf

Hi there, welcome to my profile! 

My name is Mireille Bergraaf, as an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) with over 10 years of experience, I specialize in transforming CEOs and managers into even more empathetic leaders who drive engagement and performance.

Are you facing these leadership challenges?
❗Feeling overwhelmed by constant work pressure and lack of time for strategy
❗Struggling with team engagement, high sick leave, and retention issues
❗Sensing that you're not fully utilizing your talents or experiencing work-life balance

Leaders, are you ready to leap to the next level? 🚀

As the Creator of the Manager As A Coach program, I've designed a comprehensive coach-training for CEOs and managers aiming to integrate empathy in their leadership style. By mastering empathetic communication and understanding, you'll not only address these challenges but also unlock your team's full potential.

Here's what you can achieve.
✅ Enhance team engagement and performance
✅ Regain control of your time and reduce stress
✅ Improve communication and create an inclusive environment
✅ Achieve a better work-life balance

Don't just take my word for it. My clients have seen remarkable results.
📈 86% business growth within 8 months
⚡️ 80% productivity increase within 4 months

Ready to elevate your leadership and regain control? Let's connect!

Email me directly at mireille@dld-world.nl to explore how the Manager As A Coach program can revolutionize your leadership style.

Chief Executive Officer

Remember last January?

New planner. Clean page. "This year will be different."

But here you are. Eleven months later.

❌Still replaying that conversation with your boss. The one from two years ago.
❌Still avoiding that colleague in the hallway. 
❌Still waking up at 3am thinking about the decision you should have made differently.

You told yourself you'd let it go. 
You didn't.

And now you're about to drag all of it into 2026.

Today I'll show you how to actually leave it behind.
Curious? Keep reading 👇


#EmpatheticLeadership
#LeadershipDevelopment
#MindfulLeadership
#LeadershipCoaching

Mireille Bergraaf 

Do you have the feeling that there's more to life then you're currently experiencing? Does your inner critic make you doubt yourself? Do you hold back due to limiting beliefs? Do you have thoughts that you're not good enough or that you can't really be yourself. I guide you to tap into your potential and be successful!
My enthusiasm and passion for guiding others to act and think beyond are the most important traits that inspire my clients to thrive. In fact, I don’t win unless my clients win!

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭
To me working with you is a partnership in which we will achieve the results or goals you want. Here are some results you can expect when working with me. 
1. Be successful in achieving your personal and business goals
2. Become a better leader
3. Enhance personal effectiveness
4. Enhance communication skills
5. Become a better parent, partner, son or daughter
6. Stop with the rat race and  and start living the life you always wanted and dreamed about
7. Embrace life and experience more happiness
8. Have a better work-life balance

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬?
We are an internationally accredited coaching and leadership development firm and combine Eastern Philosophy with Western Psychology. Our methodology is the reason we are so successful!  

Individual coaching, group coaching sessions, leadership training and mentorship we use as tools to guide you through this process of transformational change. 

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝? 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤!
It's good to know that I’m not a fit for everyone. I only work with highly motivated people who are willing to put in the work. If this resonates with you, send me a personal message and we'll plan a call to get acquainted, or check out our website: https://www.dutchleadershipdevelopment.nl


I coach and train CEOs, C-level executives and managers to become more empathetic | Master Certified Coach (MCC) | 🎙️Keynote Speaker

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴? 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸...

 
You've made a leadership mistake that hurt someone on your team.
You apologised.
You changed your approach.
You did everything right.

But you're still replaying the moment.
Over and over.
Like a video you can't turn off.

On the outside, you look fine.
On the inside, you're punishing yourself.
You carry the guilt like a weight you think you deserve.

Here's what I see in leaders who do this.
You think holding on to guilt is loyalty.
You think self punishment is growth.
You think if you suffer long enough, you'll somehow earn the right to move forward.

But this is what I want you to know.
➡️ Holding onto the guilt is not making you better.
➡️ It's keeping you stuck in a moment that has already passed instead of the leader you're becoming.

So, here's what I want you to do.

🌀 Name the guilt instead of carrying it in silence
Stop pretending it's not there. Say it out loud. Write it down. When you name it, it loses its power.

🌀 Take one meaningful action to repair or realign
Apologise if it matters. Clarify what you learned. Decide how you want to show up next time. Turn guilt into learning.

🌀 Release the guilt
If you've learned and taken responsibility, the rest is only weight. Breathe. Forgive yourself. Put it down.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲.
✨Courage to stop punishing yourself
✨Courage to meet yourself exactly where you are
✨Courage to forgive the version of you who didn't know better yet

I've seen leaders make this shift.
They stopped carrying guilt like a badge.
They started leading from clarity instead of shame.
And everything changed.

You've already apologised.
Now it's time to let it go. ❤️
If they can do it, so can you.

What guilt are you still carrying that you know it’s time to let go of?
 

#ThursdayCourageWithMireille 
#EmpatheticLeadership 
#LeadershipDevelopment
#LeadershipCoaching

You're running on empty.

❌The third coffee before noon.
❌The irritability in every meeting.
❌The exhaustion that sleep can't touch.

Your body has been trying to tell you something.

You're in survival mode. 
And it's costing you clarity, energy, and the ability to lead effectively.

➡️ But you don't have to stay there.

Three practices to move out of survival mode.

Keep reading. 👇

Mireille Bergraaf (Leadership Coach)

You know the signs. The tension headache that won’t quit. The exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix. The irritability that surfaces in meetings you used t

Open article: If Your Body Is Telling You to Slow Down...Listen by Mireille Bergraaf (Leadership Coach) • 5 min read

If Your Body Is Telling You to Slow Down...Listen

Thursday you'll go around the table and say what you're thankful for.


Friday your team is back at work. 
And the best your team gets? A "thanks" in Slack that disappears between the memes and the meeting links.

Meanwhile, your top performer is wondering why she bothers. 
Your quiet achiever hasn't heard his name in months. 
And someone, right now, is scrolling LinkedIn during lunch.

This is what I need you to know. 
Saying thank you doesn't make you weak or soft. 
It makes you the leader people want to stay for. ❤️

Curious how? Keep reading 👇

𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱...

 
You move from meeting to meeting. 
From deadline to deadline. 
From putting out one fire to bracing for the next.

And on top of that...It’s December...
Now you’ll run from one business borrel to the next.
 
Your mind doesn't stop at night. 
It doesn't stop on weekends. 
It's always running, planning, reviewing, anticipating.

Be honest...
Somewhere along the way, leading became surviving. 
And you got so good at hiding it.
 
➡️You are tired. Tired.
 
This is what I want you to know.
It’s ok to feel tired. It is.❤️
 
So today, I'm not giving you a strategy. 
➡️I'm giving you a question.

What would happen if you took one moment, just one, to give in to feeling tired? 
If you were to decide to take some time to spend with family?
Or friends?
Or enjoy a short Holiday break?
 
Think about it. 
➡️And let your answer guide you through December.

Happy 1st of December! ✨


#EmpatheticLeadership 
#SelfCare
#PersonalDevelopment

𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝗜 𝗼𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴... 

 
I talk about courage every week. 

About showing up.  
About being vulnerable.  
About saying the hard things. 

And yet... 

There's a thank you I've been carrying all year.  
One I say, but not enough. 
Because I wait for the right moment. 

Until I realized: there is no right moment.  
There's just now.  
Or never. 

So here it is. 
To my team because you make everything I do possible. 
 
Luisa Torres  
Betsy Anciani 
Rushabh Mota (PCC)  
 
You have my back 365 days of the year. 
You see what I don't see.  
You hold what I can't hold.  
You show up, again and again. 

I don't say it enough. 

Thank you.❤️ 

Not only for what you do.  
But mostly for who you are. 
 
And yes, that takes courage.  
Courage to stop and acknowledge.  
Courage to say it out loud.  
Courage to let people know they matter, before another year slips by. 

On this day of Thanksgiving, I invite you to do the same. 

Who deserves your thank you before 2025 ends? 


#ThursdayCourageWithMireille  
#EmpatheticLeadership  
#Gratitude  
#EmbodiedLeadership

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 "𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿." 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂...
 
 
When I hit this deadline, then. 
When the kids are older, then. 
When I reach that position, then. 
When this project is done, then.

Are you that person?
You know what I’m talking about.
 
The one who thinks that one day you will have time...
The one who thinks ...later....
 
If you are, this is what I want you to know.

"Later" started years ago.
And you weren't there.
 
Your daughter stopped asking if you'd come to her game.
Your spouse still holds your hand. But stopped telling you what's really on their mind.
Your body gave you signals. You called it stress. You kept going.
You lay awake at night with thoughts that wouldn't stop. And compensated by working harder.

➡️ The lie of "later" is that it feels like you have time.
➡️ But you don’t.

Later has already happened. Without you.
 
And now?
You can't go back. 
But you can stop waiting.

🌀 The kid you keep disappointing - show up. 
🌀 The partner you keep ignoring - plan a date night. 
🌀 The body you're ignoring - listen.

But that takes courage.

✨Courage to acknowledge what you've missed. 
✨Courage to grieve without condemning yourself. 
✨Courage to choose today. Not later.

Later doesn't come. ❤️


#ThursdayCourageWithMireille 
#EmpatheticLeadership 
#EmbodiedLeadership 
#LeadershipCoaching
#Reflection

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺.
 

When your team lacks initiative, 
misses deadlines, 
or seems disengaged, 
it's tempting to point the finger at them. 

But here's what I've learned working with leaders. 
➡️Your team is a mirror. 
 
They reflect what you model.  
They respond to what you tolerate.  
They become what you expect. 

So instead of giving you a strategy today, I want to offer you something different. 

As we close out 2025, this is one of the December reflections I have for you. 

➡️ If they don't speak up, ask yourself: have I made it safe to disagree with me?  
 
➡️ If they lack ownership, ask yourself: do I give them real autonomy or do I micromanage the moment things get uncomfortable?  
 
➡️ If they seem unmotivated, ask yourself: when was the last time I acknowledged their progress instead of only pointing out gaps? 
 
Your team isn't the problem. They're the symptom. 
The mirror doesn't lie.  
What do you see? ❤️ 
 

#EmpatheticLeadership  
#LeadershipCoaching 
#ConsciousLeadership 
#SelfAwarenessForLeaders 
#EmotionalIntelligence

𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴...

 
You're staring at your Q4 targets. 
The gap between where you are and where you need to be. 
The endless to-do list that keeps growing.

And you've stopped seeing what's already there.

The deals you did close. 
The problems your team solved. 
The fires that got put out without burning everything down. 
The moments where it actually worked.

➡️But you're not looking at that. You're looking at the gap. Always the gap.
➡️That's the November trap.

When you only reflect what's missing, your team feels it. 
Every conversation becomes about what's not done yet. 
Every win gets swallowed by the next target. 
 
And slowly, quietly, motivation fades.
Not because they don't care. Because nothing seems to count.

➡️November doesn't need more pressure. It needs acknowledgment.

Not celebration. 
Not a party. 
Just a pause. 
A moment where you look your team in the eye and say: 
"𝘐'𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦'𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵." ❤️

And then, say it to yourself.

I invite you to stop for five minutes today. 
Look back before you look forward. 
 
What have you accomplished so far that you haven't acknowledged yet?


#EmpatheticLeadership
#MindfulLeadership
#Appreciation
#EndOfYearReflection

𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵.


You're in back-to-back meetings. 
Your inbox is a mess. 
Your family is asking when you'll actually be home. Not just physically. Actually home.

And somewhere in the back of your mind, a quiet voice: 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.

You're right. You can't.

Here's how to break the cycle 👇

The year doesn't end. It collapses. One moment you're planning Q4, the next you're drowning in it. Deadlines that seemed far away are suddenly tomorro

Open article: Slowing Down the 2025 Rush: A Leader's Guide by Mireille Bergraaf (Leadership Coach) • 4 min read

Slowing Down the 2025 Rush: A Leader's Guide

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