WILLEMSTAD – Sociologist, trainer, and author Suzanne Mau-Asam will soon visit Curaçao to introduce her recently published book, Embodied Leadership – Taking Off Your Masks and Staying True to Yourself. For the Dutch-Curaçaoan author, the visit represents much more than a professional engagement. It is a personal homecoming to an island that has shaped her identity, family history, and approach to leadership.
Published on October 1, 2026, the book explores how personal experiences, cultural identity, and unconscious behavioral patterns influence the way people lead and interact with others.
Suzanne Mau-Asam
For Mau-Asam, born in 1978 to a Dutch mother and a Curaçaoan father, these themes are deeply connected to her own experiences of growing up between two cultures.
Her father moved from Curaçao to the Netherlands during the 1970s. Throughout her childhood, Mau-Asam regularly visited the island with her family, and between the ages of 18 and 20, she lived in Curaçao herself.
Many of her relatives and close friends still reside on the island, maintaining a connection that continues to influence both her personal and professional life.
Finding Strength in Two Cultural Identities
Growing up with both Dutch and Curaçaoan roots was not always easy for Mau-Asam.
For many years, she struggled with the feeling that she did not completely belong to either culture. In the Netherlands, she sometimes felt different from those around her, while in Curaçao, she was also aware of not being entirely local.
Over time, however, she learned to view her multicultural background as a source of strength rather than uncertainty.
"I really am a mix. In the Netherlands, I feel that I am not entirely Dutch, and in Curaçao, I am not entirely Curaçaoan. That used to bother me. Now it is precisely my strength, both in my work and in my life," Mau-Asam explained.
Her experiences have contributed to her understanding of identity, belonging, and the ways people adapt their behavior to meet the expectations of others.
These questions form an important foundation of her new book.
Family History and Her Father's Legacy
In Embodied Leadership, Mau-Asam reflects on the influence of her Curaçaoan heritage and the experiences that shaped her understanding of herself.
She describes how growing up between two cultures, encountering racism, and navigating social expectations contributed to the development of what she calls personal "masks."
These masks represent behaviors and protective mechanisms people adopt to fit in, avoid rejection, or meet the expectations of their surroundings.
Her father's experiences also play an important role in the book.
Having grown up in Curaçao during the 1970s before moving to the Netherlands as a young man of color, he encountered experiences that influenced his family and, ultimately, his daughter's personal development.
Mau-Asam's father passed away twelve years ago.
Shortly before his death, the family made one final trip to Curaçao together. During that visit, he showed his children the places where he had grown up, sharing memories of his childhood and his connection to the island.
His ashes were later scattered at Knip, one of Curaçao's best-known beaches.
For Mau-Asam, returning to the island with her book carries deep emotional significance.
"In a way, I am bringing the book home. Back to my father, and to everyone on the island who means so much to me," she said.
Leadership Begins With Understanding Yourself
The central message of Embodied Leadership is that effective leadership begins with self-awareness.
Mau-Asam examines how people develop behavioral patterns and protective mechanisms throughout their lives, often without realizing how these patterns influence their decisions and relationships.
According to the author, everyone wears certain masks.
Although these behaviors may have served an important purpose at an earlier stage of life, they can eventually become obstacles to personal growth and authentic leadership.
The book combines personal experiences with scientific insights from sociology, biology, psychology, and neuroscience.
Through eight recognizable behavioral masks, including the people-pleaser, the strong one, and the invisible one, Mau-Asam offers readers practical tools to better understand themselves and develop a more authentic approach to life and leadership.
Her work encourages readers to recognize when they are acting according to external expectations rather than their own values and needs.
The author believes that becoming aware of these patterns can help individuals improve their relationships, make more conscious decisions, and become more effective leaders.
Book Reaches Top Position in Leadership Rankings
The book received a strong reception following its publication on October 1.
Shortly after its release, Embodied Leadership reached the number-one position in the leadership books category on the Dutch platform Managementboek.nl.
The achievement marked a successful introduction for the publication and helped bring attention to Mau-Asam's approach to personal development and leadership.
However, for the author, the upcoming visit to Curaçao carries a significance that extends beyond the book's commercial success.
It provides an opportunity to reconnect with her roots, reflect on her father's legacy, and share the lessons she has learned about identity and authenticity.
A Personal Homecoming to Curaçao
Mau-Asam describes Curaçao as a place where she feels particularly connected to herself.
Although she has spent much of her life in the Netherlands, the island remains an important part of her identity.
She says that returning to Curaçao allows her to experience a sense of belonging that is difficult to describe.
"When it comes to masks, I wear fewer of them in Curaçao. I feel more like myself there. It starts on the airplane, when I suddenly see the island appearing in that bright blue sea. My heart skips a beat," she said.
Her upcoming visit will therefore combine the introduction of Embodied Leadership with a personal journey back to the place where an important part of her family's story began.
Through her book, Mau-Asam hopes to encourage others to examine the influences that have shaped their identities and discover how greater self-awareness can lead to more authentic lives.
For the Dutch-Curaçaoan author, bringing her work to Curaçao is also a way of honoring her father and celebrating the island that continues to hold a special place in her heart.