Let's talk about hobbies! You know, all the fun stuff you used to write in your friendshipbook at the schoolyard, with a pack of Fristi on your lips as the marbles rolled past your shoes.

But having a hobby is much more than that coveted place in each other's friends' book, hobbies also bring many advantages as an adult. Developing new hobbies and learning new things tackles stress and ensures that you can disconnect. But combating stress is not only a nice advantage; in this article MT draws parallels between leadership and hobbies and how one strengthens the other and vice versa. Not only is it a remedy for stress, but it also brings benefits to the workplace. For example, Marlous Booijink - Vice President Finance at DSM Food Specialties - sees the benefits of horse riding in providing guidance and leading teams. Her horses all have their own characters and must therefore be guided in different ways, whereby patience and listening come down to the same thing. Dennis Valkema - general manager at HR software company Talentsoft - sees the advantages of the Eastern martial art Aikido mainly in the development of his own abilities: with Aikido you never stop learning, you start and end with the white belt. How do you benefit from your hobbies? Does it give you peace and distraction or does it mainly bring you inspiration and creativity?