Welcome to a brand new episode of CX Leadership Talks!

In this episode, Nienke Bloem CCXP shares a personal story from her time at KPN that completely changed how she looked at leadership. A Valentine’s Day blog, a bold email to the CEO, and one big aha moment led her to realise that real CX leadership starts when we stop judging and start joining.

Too often, CX leaders complain that management “doesn’t get it.” But our job isn’t to criticize leaders, it’s to help them lead. Nienke talks about how to bridge that leadership gap and become a trusted partner instead of a frustrated observer.

You’ll learn three practical ways to lead your leaders:
• Help them make decisions by bringing options, not just problems
• Help them connect with customers by organising and guiding their first experiences
• Help them as humans by showing care and curiosity

Timestamped overview:

00:00 Valentine's Day customer service story

04:13 Leaders ignoring customer stories

10:03 Mindset shift for better leadership

11:50 Elevating CX leadership mindset

14:56 Facilitating decisions through preparation

18:48 Practical planning for board visits

22:53 Connecting leaders with customers

25:19 CX Leadership masterminds 2026

Listen now and discover how to lead your leaders, build bridges instead of walls, and make Customer Experience work through true collaboration.

Don’t just manage CX. Lead it.

About Nienke:   

If this episode hits home, there are two ways to go further.
Book Nienke’s new keynote We only win when everyone is in for your next leadership event.
Or, if you’re Dutch and ready to grow as a CX leader, join the CX Leadership Masterminds 2026, the eight-month journey to strengthen your CX strategy, story, and impact.

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.    

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.   

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.