Ylva, you yourself have long experience as a leader in an industry undergoing rapid change; how has your own leadership changed over time?
A lot! And I recognize myself in so much when I now coach other managers from different industries and with different lengths of experience.
At the beginning of a management career, it is often about leading according to instructions from above, following the company's stated direction and policies, and ensuring that everyone in the team "does the right thing." So it was for me too.
But the more experience you get and the more responsibility you are assigned, the more important it becomes to actually also initiate initiatives, point out errors and shortcomings, challenge and experiment to optimize the organization, increase competition, strengthen collaborations... or whatever it may be. Senior managers should not always follow instructions. On the contrary. Instead, they should dare to question and propose changes. I was probably largely like that during the later part of my management career. V
Another thing that is becoming increasingly obvious - and also increasingly important - is self-awareness. I think I become aware of this every day. The leader who does not know himself and cannot lead himself cannot lead others either. And since we hopefully constantly work on our own development, we also deepen our self-awareness and can more consciously lead others.
How have you gained inspiration for your leadership?
From many sources, not least from all my own managers over the years. Both those (few) who have been really good, but above all from all those who did not succeed in their role. "I will never do that," I have often thought.
I also like to read biographies of different leaders, both in politics and in business. It is exciting and educational to be able to follow behind the scenes and understand how they reasoned when they made certain decisions.
Today, I am also greatly inspired by all the managers I meet every day in my role as a professional coach.

Everything indicates that the pace of change in society is getting higher and higher! What is required of today's and tomorrow's leaders to be successful in their leadership?
All the sudden changes, technological leaps, changed behaviors, and values mean that we constantly need to develop unique ideas and original concepts to meet all possible and impossible stresses.
I think we will go far with three things: creativity, collective intelligence, and communication. It is a trinity that is absolutely necessary to meet the constant need for adaptation. The leader and organization that manages to unleash employees' innovative competence and translate it into concrete business benefits will manage reasonably well in the future.
Photo: Sören Håkanlind