Amsterdam, 14 March 2026 - Gamechangers by Tom de Bruyne, co-founder of SUE Behavioural Design, has been selected for the shortlist of the Dutch Management Book of the Year 2026. The jury, consisting of Eric van Arendonk MBA RM, Erleyne Brookman, Henny Portman, Hendrika Willemse-Vreugdenhil, Amber Zwartbol and Danny Mullenders, selected the book for its original approach to change through systems thinking.

A counter-narrative about change

In Gamechangers, Tom de Bruyne explores how major changes in organisations and society come about, and why many change initiatives still get stuck. Complex challenges such as sustainability, policy or organisational change often turn out to be less controllable than expected, because they take place within systems where many factors influence each other.

In a context of growing despair, pessimism, cynicism and growing indignation, I wanted to write a counter-narrative about how we can create chain reactions of positive change.

De Bruyne approaches change from a systems thinking and system dynamics perspective. He shows how patterns, interdependencies and existing structures determine what is and isn't possible. The book introduces, among other things, a 'periodic system of change', in which different levels of intervention are distinguished, from concrete parameters to deeper paradigms. He also describes ten archetypes of resistance that commonly arise during change processes.

With examples from organisations and societal challenges, De Bruyne demonstrates how small, targeted interventions can sometimes cause unexpectedly large movements. The book helps professionals view change challenges from a broader perspective and better understand where resistance and momentum in organisations come from.

Pride and gratitude

Tom de Bruyne responded enthusiastically to the nomination: "The nice thing about being on the shortlist for Management Book of the Year is that I no longer need to convince you that it really is a good book." He thanked the jury and publisher Catharina Schilder of Alfabet Uitgevers and her team who polished the book into what it has become.

Klaas Dijkhoff, co-founder at SUE & The Alchemists, also shared his congratulations on LinkedIn with a video message.

Book the Gamechangers keynote

Want to experience the insights from Gamechangers live? Tom de Bruyne is available as a keynote speaker. In his Gamechangers keynote, he takes you into the world of systems thinking, shows you how to break through resistance to change and how small interventions can cause large movements.

The keynote can be booked through:

Tom speaks in both Dutch and English, for audiences of 50 to 5,000 people.

About the book

Gamechangers is written by Tom de Bruyne and published by Alfabet Uitgevers. The book is available at all bookshops and online via Managementboek.nl.

About SUE Behavioural Design

SUE Behavioural Design is Europe's leading Behavioural Design agency and training institute. From Amsterdam, SUE helps organisations and professionals understand and change human behaviour. With over 10,000 trained professionals in 45+ countries, an average rating of 9.7/10 and a portfolio that includes brands such as Rabobank, KPN, Heineken and the Dutch Government, SUE is the authority in Behavioural Design.

Note for editors

For press enquiries, review copies or booking Tom as a keynote speaker: