Dawn Explores the Power of Uncertainty in New De Baak Campaign

Sep. 10, 2026

De Baak, the leading institute for management training in the Netherlands, has launched a new brand campaign exploring the role uncertainty can play in leadership and personal growth. The campaign builds on research from De Baak which found that, in times of uncertainty, people tend to seek clarity and solutions, even though moments of ambiguity, resistance and doubt often create valuable opportunities for growth. 

Created by newly independent Amsterdam agency Dawn, the campaign turns that tension into a simple, yet unconventional invitation: ‘Focus on what’s unclear.’ 

Leaders are conventionally expected to be razorsharp: confident in their decisions and clear on their direction rather than hesitant, insecure or tentative. But De Baak challenges this traditional view of leadership, celebrating the power of being able to admit uncertainty. The moments when we’re questioning ourselves or unsure of the way forward can be some of the most valuable, creating space to better understand ourselves, challenge our assumptions and grow. 

It’s a tension reflected in De Baak’s own research showing that 67% of the professionals surveyed feel the world is more uncertain than it was three years ago, while half say they have a greater need for calm and stability. At the same time, 83% rarely or never step outside their comfort zone, and 32% are unsure how or in what areas they want to develop. It’s this tension that sits at the heart of a quietly confident campaign: not everything that feels unclear needs to be resolved immediately.

Looking at leadership through a different lens

De Baak puts moments of uncertainty front and centre in the new campaign. The tagline – focus on what’s unclear – captures that idea, while the visuals bring it to life through a deliberately blurred lens, constantly shifting in and out of focus around the protagonist. The same approach carries through in the photographic elements which unconventionally, features out of focus images.