Get in touch
Thanks for reaching out to us. Please fill in the form and we will get back to you with your request.
Download Compass
Co-Intelligence is the Future
You’re about to join the waiting list for The 8 Crafts Braintrust - a space for those who shape the future by testing ideas, exchanging insights, and learning in practice.
What to expect:
- Braintrust Circles: Monthly peer-led sessions to exchange insights, test ideas, and share real-world applications.
- Field Guide Tools & Practices: Proven frameworks, templates, and methodologies from the 8 Crafts for practical implementation.
- Themed Chats & Meetups: Ongoing discussions and live gatherings around emerging practices and shared challenges.
🚀 Spots are limited, secure yours now.
Regenerative Thinking
Regenerative thinking is about creating the conditions for thriving systems, finding a balance between seeking positive outcomes and avoiding unintended consequences. Regenerators understand that life creates life. They shift from a focus on linear growth to a cyclical mindset, accepting that everything ends. Regenerative thinkers know that endings are beginnings.
Design Thinking
Design thinking is about harnessing creativity in order to foster collaboration and solve problems. It is about constant iteration and taking a human-centered approach. Design thinkers remain open and curious. They find opportunities in ambiguity and uncertainty.
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is about seeing the connections between all parts of a system and recognizing the emergent outcomes of relationships and interactions. Systems thinkers understand that systems are more than the sum of their parts. They know how to intervene skillfully in order to produce better outcomes.
Futures Thinking
Futures thinking is about understanding that the future is not fixed, but instead that it can be shaped by the decisions that we make today and that we have agency in the emerging future. It is about radical imagination, envisioning (im)possibilities, and charting paths towards that vision.
West
The West represents autumn, the season of harvest and abundance. In this phase, we gather together to share the fruits of our labor and celebrate what we’ve accomplished.
South
The South represents summer, a time of busyness, focus, and hard work. In this phase, we harness our sense of focus in order to fully develop the projects we’re working on.
East
The East represents spring, the season of fresh possibilities and excited beginnings. In this phase, we turn inspiration and ideas into plans, in order to activate and motivate ourselves and others.
North
The North represents winter, a time of dormancy, rest, and transition. In this phase, we reflect upon and integrate our learnings in order to prepare for what comes next.
Why this is crucial
The world is changing beyond our beliefs. But our change strategies don’t.
And yet, we keep turning to the same old top-down plans and glossy decks. They’re costly. They drain time, energy and talent. That’s not just ineffective, it’s wasteful.
At Within, we believe meaningful change starts with the people who dare to step up and lead. That’s why we don’t deliver change from the outside. We embed it. Working side by side with those who face the real complexity every day.
How we guide
We are not traditional consultants. We build capacity.
In complex times, teams don’t need answers, they need direction. A clear sense of where they stand, what’s shifting, and how to move forward.
That’s why we guide. Not by taking over, but by helping leaders grow the Craft it takes to navigate ambiguity, unlock alignment, and drive change from the inside out.
Colofon
The strategic and creative development of WITHIN and The 8 Crafts Field Guide to Responsible Innovation was initiated by co-founders Franklin de Bekker and Patrick Leenheers. We were supported by a group of inspiring thought leaders and creatives.
- Art direction & identity: Bas Koopmans (Wellness)
- UX: Maarten van Sprang and Franklin de Bekker
- Digital design & no-code development: Rick Bossenbroek (Uncode)
- Illustrations: Lennart Kok
- Photography: Elmer Driessen
- Editorial copy: Christina Williams (Liminal-stories)
- Editorial images: Marcel C. de Vries (Studio Superaarde)
- General support: members of The Collective
- Overall concept & strategy: Franklin de Bekker and Patrick Leenheers (WITHIN)
The 8 Crafts’ Origin Story
Qui ad cillum occaecat deserunt do do ad reprehenderit nisi eu aute do dolore. Quis eu sit sunt consectetur dolor voluptate. Est quis culpa sint occaecat nulla anim cupidatat. Adipisicing eu cupidatat tempor cillum nulla. Magna nostrud et non labore aliquip irure anim deserunt. Elit velit elit anim. Exercitation veniam laborum est dolore dolore veniam labore.
Lead change with
clarity and confidence
Find out for yourself which of the 8 Crafts you master, and what you could do next to grow your impact.
The 8 Crafts Method empowers people who say ‘this has to change’ and who are ready to move themselves, their teams and their initiatives forward.
Assess the stage of your initiative and your ability to lead it. Get clear on your next step, and what you need to learn to do it well.
Select the right tools for the right context and move your project. Adopt the practices to become a more effective leader of change.
Deliver results even when things shift fast. Master the behaviours to build cohesive teams that know how to sustain momentum.
The 8 Crafts will be your compass
Set direction to navigate in uncertainty. Use it as a compass to assess where you stand and what could come next. So you can act with confidence, even when the path isn’t obvious.
The 8 Crafts will be your toolkit
Access a collection of tools and practices that stand the test of the real world. Use it to grow your leadership while doing the work. Build capability in context.
The 8 Crafts will be your shared language
Land on a common vocabulary. Use it to clarify intent, align the team and move forward, together, and in rhythm.
"WITHIN facilitated a program in which we co-created our story and our strategy, whilst also building team cohesion and individual leadership. We ended up with a winning plan, backed by a team that is willing and able to execute."
“WITHIN boosted our competency to drive change at KLM. Their approach breaks from traditional consultancy by making learning experiential, palpable almost. The 8 Crafts will help us become the frontrunner airline we aspire to be. ”
Uncover what’s keeping you
Go through our two-minute questionnaire to assess the stage of your project and to find out which crafts you’re already using. Discover what you could do next to move forward or level up your leadership.
The 8 crafts
Which Craft reflects your current challenge? Tap to dive deeper
Shift narratives through storytelling, reframe the world to unlock new possibilities
Scan the horizon. Map trends, emerging technologies, and bold possibilities
Notice dynamics, relationships, patterns, and underlying beliefs in the external world
Challenge short-term thinking, ensuring decisions serve future generations.
Step into action. Embrace the messy, iterative process of testing, learning, and refining
Create trust between groups, helping align visions, settle conflicts, and co-create solutions
Scale ideas in ways that feels natural, adaptive, and sustainable
Create space for renewal, learning, and the next cycle of growth
The 8 Crafts help changemakers lead with more creativity, clarity, and courage. Built on science. Proven in practice. Explore the thinking behind the method:
Identify your
next step
Complete the assessment and discover which of the 8 Crafts you master — and which tools or practices would unlock a next level of development.
"For four years they facilitated the yearly CEO summit of the World Port Climate Action Program. We saw a noticeable increase in leaders' personal power, and in the ambition and impact of the initiatives in the program.”
"The 8 Crafts method offers inspiration, perspectives, and tools to drive innovation and change in diverse ways. It helps professionals discover their most natural, effective approach to solving challenges with impact and creativity."
Answers for your questions
The 8 Crafts Method is an online resource full of insights and inspiration for change leaders. It blends stories, tools, and leadership practices, inspired from the arts, nature, design, business and humanities. Each Craft offers a unique perspective on transformation—broad in scope, yet practical in application. Start by taking the assessment to get personalised suggestions on how you could grow your impact.
The 8 Crafts were developed by Franklin de Bekker and Patrick Leenheers, co-founders of WITHIN. They began by drawing from their own experience, then consulted 100+ experts and built this framework to capture the most effective approaches to leadership and change. What started as a personal exploration became a practical guide for others.
If you’re leading a team through uncertainty—whether in business, government, or the social sector—the 8 Crafts help you navigate complexity and strengthen your leadership. Unlike rigid frameworks, they blend logic with emotional and intuitive intelligence, making you a more adaptable and confident leader.
The 8 Crafts are designed for complex, interconnected challenges with no easy answers. Leaders use them in diverse settings—from sustainability strategies at an airline to cultural transformation in the arts sector.
The method isn’t a rigid or step by step process. We believe leadership is contextual, and depends on the project and the people who lead it. So we curated a set of tested tools for navigating real-world complexity. And we help you find the right tool for the right context. You could either browse the method to see what resonates. And we created a two minute assessment to help you find out where you might focus next.
The 8 Crafts are not personality types or archetypes. Labeling yourself might actually limit your growth. Instead, think of these as capabilities for driving change. See them as leadership qualities you can develop and apply in different contexts, or roles you can experiment with in your work.
Yes, the method was designed for real-world application. You can use its tools in strategy sessions, team development, and innovation processes. The Crafts are open-source, meaning you can adapt and integrate them into your work freely. Want to connect with others using The 8 Crafts? Join our growing community—sign up for the waiting list.
Getting started is easy. Browse the toolkit and see what resonates. Or complete the assessment (16 questions which you can answer in two minutes) to get a personalized roadmap for using the 8 Crafts in your work. You’ll identify your strengths, uncover gaps, and discover the most relevant tools to move your project or level up your leadership.