A One-Hour Talk by Peter de Kuster
Dutch Design Week 2026 | Friday, 17 October
Bookstore van Piere Eindhoven
What Story About AI Are You Living Now?
Rarely has the world of work been shaken up as profoundly as by the rise of AI. On one hand, golden mountains are promised: greater efficiency, cost savings, and the imperative not to fall behind. On the other, deep concerns persist about the consequences. Organizations feel the urgency to get started—yet the possibilities, limitations, and risks continue to shift constantly.
Amid this storm, CXOs and leaders in HR and L&D must guide employees who respond to the arrival of AI in vastly different ways. One person fears they won’t keep up and wonders whether contributing to AI ultimately means making their own work obsolete. Another doesn’t wait for policy but experiments freely, sometimes moving faster than the organization itself.
The challenge is twofold: how do you handle resistance, concerns, and criticism—and how do you create space for initiative without losing control over responsible use?
Designing Leadership Through the Hero’s Journey
In this one-hour talk at Dutch Design Week, Peter de Kuster explores what it takes to lead a transition for which no roadmap exists. Drawing on philosophy, psychology, and lessons from previous disruptions, Peter invites you to reflect on your own situation and context through short exercises.
You’ll gather insights to move your employees forward: to think constructively, let go of familiar assumptions, and together shape the future of your organization. Using the framework of the Hero’s Journey, you’ll discover which story about AI you’re living now—and which archetype is calling you to step into the next chapter.
Design is not just about objects and systems—it’s about the stories we tell ourselves about change, identity, and purpose. At Dutch Design Week 2026, under the theme R.A.W. (Rebel. Authentic. Worth.), designers challenge existing ideas and reveal how change takes shape. This talk brings that same spirit to leadership: embracing the unpolished, the exploratory, and the experimental as you navigate the AI transition.
You’ll Be Prompted to Think About:
- Which reactions uncertainty and technological change evoke in teams
- How to provide direction when you don’t yet have all the answers
- What it takes to create a culture where people dare to experiment
- How to take concerns and objections seriously and ensure employees feel heard
- Which lessons previous technological transitions offer for the arrival of AI
- What story about AI you are living now—and which story you want to tell next
- How the Hero’s Journey maps onto your organization’s AI transformation
For Whom
This talk is for leaders, managers, board members, and professionals in HR, L&D, innovation, and organizational development. In short: for anyone responsible for people during major change.
Whether you’re designing new workflows, reimagining learning pathways, or shaping organizational culture, this session offers a narrative lens to make sense of the AI transition—and to lead with clarity, courage, and compassion.
Practical Information
- Date: Friday, 17 October 2026
- Time: 12:30 – 13:30
- Price: Free
- Language: English
- Location: Bookstore Van Piere a 5-minute walk from Eindhoven Central Station)
Make a reservation at peterdekuster2023@gmail.com or phone him 0031 6 19192245
About Peter de Kuster
Peter de Kuster is the founder of The Heroine’s Journey and The Hero’s Journey. His books and stories about the Hero’s Journey—making money doing what you love—have reached millions of creative professionals worldwide. Through storytelling, archetypes, and narrative transformation, Peter helps leaders and professionals discover the story they’re living and rewrite it into one of purpose, agency, and impact.
Join us at Dutch Design Week 2026. Step into the Lichttoren—an iconic beacon of Eindhoven’s design heritage—and ask yourself: What story about AI are you living now? And more importantly: What story do you want to tell next?