I was sitting in the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, during its 350-year celebration. Next to me sat an entrepreneur. I asked him if there was anything special about Jewish business in Amsterdam. He answered with one word: “nejomme.”
He meant neshama (נשמה) — soul. That word struck me. In Kabbalah, neshama belongs to the world of Briyah (בריאה), the world of creation. And creation is what leaders today are hungry for.
The Four Worlds of Leadership Development
Kabbalah describes four worlds, each connected to a level of the soul. They mirror the stages leaders move through:
- Asiyah (עשיה) – Nefesh (נפש): The world of action. Leadership here is about execution, discipline, productivity. Most managers operate at this level.
- Yetzirah (יצירה) – Ruach (רוח): The world of formation. Leadership here shapes teams, culture, systems. Modern leadership training often stops here — soft skills, emotional intelligence, empathy.
- Briyah (בריאה) – Neshama (נשמה): The world of creation. This is yesh me’ayin (יש מאין) — creation out of nothing. Leaders here bring something truly new into the world, true to themselves. Rare, but game-changing.
- Atzilut (אצילות): The world of emanation. Vision flows through, almost beyond the leader. Few ever touch it.
What Briyah Leadership Looks Like
Most leaders remain in Asiyah and Yetzirah: getting results, managing people, improving systems. Important, but horizontal.
Briyah is vertical. It is about being in touch with who you really are, beyond ego, and what you must create. Leaders here are rare — maybe 1%. But their impact is unmistakable.
- Apple didn’t just make phones.
- ASML didn’t just build machines.
- Uniqlo didn’t just sell clothes.
They created something that shifted industries. In the case of Uniqlo slightly shifting.
Most leaders fall into one of three traps:
- Running a business they don’t truly want.
- Staying authentic but creating little value (the “artist syndrome”).
- Creating value but not elevating the world — just another brand.
Briyah leadership is the antidote. Alignment of self, soul, and creation.
The Shift in Leadership Development
For decades leadership was about productivity (Asiyah). Then came effectiveness (Yetzirah): coaching, communication, soft skills. Useful, but still horizontal.
Now the shift is toward creation (Briyah). Leaders and organizations are asking:
- Who am I, really?
- What must I create in this world?
This is the hunger of our time.
Why Briyah Leadership Matters
The world doesn’t need more of the same. It needs leaders who create from soul (neshama), not repetition. Leaders who bring yesh me’ayin — what wasn’t there before.
That is the call of Briyah.
Reflection for Leaders
Ask yourself:
- Am I creating from my deepest truth, or just managing what already exists?
- Do I know what I must bring into the world?
- Is my leadership aligned with my neshama?
If you want to explore this, I guide leaders and organizations in moving from productivity and effectiveness to Briyah leadership — where creation and purpose meet.
This is part of our leadership development programs
Onze diensten
I Coaching
Leadership and Kabbalah Coaching
Leadership and Kabbalah Executive program (1 day)
II Executive development programs
III Leadership Journeys and Pilgrimages
Girona Kabbalah Leadership Tour (Half day)