Go for it and grow. Maaike van den Dries-Rinsma on leadership and believing in yourself

“Go for it and believe in what you have to offer.” That’s the mindset that drives Maaike van den Dries-Rinsma, Atlassian consultant and newly appointed People Lead at Sopra Steria. In this interview, Maaike shares how her passion for growth, people, and purpose led her to take on a leadership role. One that allows her to support colleagues in their development while continuing to excel in her technical expertise.

How long have you been working at Sopra Steria and what have you done so far?
I have been working at Sopra Steria for almost ten years now. I started as a young professional in the PMO department in 2015. For the first five years, I held various project management roles, from PMO to scrum master in a mix of all kinds of Agile/Prince2 project types. When my assignment on a construction project at Schiphol Airport came to an end, an additional vacancy arose for an Atlassian consultant. Curious as I am, I immersed myself completely in the Atlassian products. Atlassian tools, such as Jira, Confluence and Trello, are seamlessly connected to Agile working, process improvement, Service Management and Portfolio Management. This tied in well with my previous work experience. I found that I enjoyed specialising. And because of that specialisation, I was increasingly assigned to projects that required specific knowledge of Atlassian.

In addition to being an Atlassian consultant, you now also hold the role of People Lead. Can you tell us a little more about that?
As People Lead, I am a sparring partner for several of my colleagues in the People & Change area, where I focus on how I can support them in their professional careers and well-being. If there are any problems or challenges, I am the first point of contact as a mentor to help them achieve their goals and work together on their personal development. As People Lead, you provide feedback and evaluate personal goals and help find the right role and the best project that suits everyone's personal development.

Why did you take on this new role? ​
In my work, I am always thinking about the next step: what training can I take, what topics would I like to learn more about? This also applies to my personal development. I had no experience in leadership. However, I was increasingly being asked to contribute to customer advice and complex questions. I was also already coaching colleagues and developing our practice. When the position of People Lead became available, I applied because I was ready for the next step and the work of a People Lead really appealed to me.

How did your colleagues react to your new role?
Many people say that this role is perfect for me. They realised before I did that this role suits me well.

What helped you settle into your new role so smoothly?
I participated in the internal Potential Leader Programme. This is a training programme for experts and consultants that focuses on exploring leadership roles. During this training, you reflect on your motivations and the issues you will encounter as a leader in practice. Actually, a title like “Next best move” would describe the programme better, because it has helped me enormously to take a well-considered next step towards the role of People Lead. For me, this is a perfect combination of my substantive client work and leadership tasks.

I recently completed the People Lead track. This is a learning programme with e-learning and a series of training sessions at the office that has given me insights that are very useful in fulfilling my role. For example, we had lessons in conversation techniques, where you learn how to give constructive feedback, but also how to best handle emotionally charged conversations.

Has there been any insight that has taught you something valuable?
I had assumed a number of things to be true, which convinced me that leadership was not for me. By talking to other Leads about how they deal with challenges, I realised that this is something you can learn. And indeed, it's true what they say: practice makes perfect.

Which skills from your existing role can you use in your new role as People Lead?
I am naturally good at motivating people and connecting them. That comes in very handy in my role as People Lead. In addition, I have been with the organisation for almost ten years, and I bring my own growth path and experience to my new role. I have also been able to observe how personal development interviews are conducted by my own Lead. Experience gives you confidence, and I like to pass that on.

Has your view of the company changed since taking on this new challenge?
No, not really. Our practice is organised in such a way that there is already a lot of interaction with Sopra Steria. In addition to my work for the client, I also enjoy spending time on business development within Sopra Steria. I like to contribute to the strategy within Consulting. The People Leads are also actively involved in the direction and goals for the People & Change area, so that we can provide valuable input from an employee perspective.

What advice would you give to colleagues considering a similar move?
Talk about it with others and make your ambitions known. Then an opportunity may come your way because they know what your ambitions are. Think about what motivates you and why you want to take a step. You often already know deep down whether it is right for you. So go for it, don't be afraid of the unknown and trust in what you have to offer.