”JUMPSTART OTHERS’ GROWTH BY GROWING IN YOUR OWN LEADERSHIP ROLE”

“BY HELPING FOSTER A CULTURE THAT ENCOURAGES OPENNESS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, YOU GIVE YOUR COMPANY A LONG-TERM COMPETITIVE EDGE.”

Leadershift is for anyone wanting to explore what is needed of them to be able to jumpstart others’ growth. Today, organizations are facing large, complex challenges that place new demands on the leadership abilities of managers. To be able to create sustainable organizations, you need to practice being present, acting with empathy and fostering a culture of openness, in which both you and your coworkers can grow.

What does Leadershift mean? And what can program participants expect?

- In the program, we get down to the meat and potatoes of the matter and create a toolbox. The program is a development journey, which starts with us looking at what it means to have a learning-centered approach. Every participant brings an individual challenge that they want to work on in smaller teams, which gives participants the opportunity to challenge how they think in a safe, enriching environment. Our knowledgeable instructors share tools and expertise that can be directly applied to each of the participants’ individual leadership challenges.

Research shows that a common challenge, and the largest stressor in most organizations, is collaborating,” Emma explains.

- According to Rob Cross, a professor at Babson College, we can gain back an entire work day every week by learning to collaborate better and less often. It’s not about communicating less – it’s about collaborating smarter. Throughout the program, we’ll dig into what collaboration looks like in organizations and what people can do to be more efficient in how they meet, without compromising well-being

Growing as individuals and developing our leadership skills means widening our perspective,” Emma says.

- A way to understand and learn about the complex world we live in is to internalize different perspectives. In order to widen our perspective, we need to practice listening and asking questions. I normally use a simple method that I call “bubble-hopping”, which can also be used to break down silos within organizations. I’ll teach more about that method in the program.

What are the takeaways from this program?

- In addition to relevant knowledge, you’ll also gain an array of tools, such as “SweetSWOT” and “Shifting”, which you can utilize when you need to grow within your own leadership role and help others do the same. By helping foster a culture that encourages openness and personal development, you give your company a long-term competitive edge. You also play an active role in creating a more sustainable society.

Tell us more about yourself. Who are you?

- I am an inquisitive person who’s passionate about all things to do with education! For almost 20 years, I’ve been researching and teaching cultural and sustainable enterprise and leadership at the Stockholm School of Economics. I’m currently working on research projects on confidence building, on new organization and work models in Web 3.0 and on social sustainability. That said, I do have a colorful background, and I’ve also worked both as an anchor on Sveriges Television AB and as a visiting professor at Konstfack (The University of Arts, Crafts and Design). Apart from my academic experience, I’ve also written regular columns for Dagens industri for 22 years, and this fall, I’ve actually written a book aptly entitled “Bubbelhoppa” (“Bubble-hopping”) that’s coming out.

*SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) is a tool to help you analyze your current strengths and weaknesses, perceivable opportunities and threats, as well as what you want to achieve.

Emma’s top 7 tips for growing in your leadership role

• Don’t be afraid of failing. By implementing more of a growth mindset, we can embrace our failures and learn from them.
• Put together a challenge group. Having a small support group that you can talk about development with can be crucial. But make sure to also challenge each other. 
• Make curiosity a part of your identity. You are a manager who asks questions and listens – not a manager who has all the answers.
• Be vulnerable – share your development journey and where you are now. What’s been hard? What have you learned?
• Don’t bow out of conflict. Try to turn conflict into something constructive.
• Create good work groups where, together, you can strike that balance between well-being and performance, where you debate and give each other support and feedback – all of that good, important stuff. Pick up the phone instead of emailing – and even talk face-to-face over a coffee.
• Ask for feedback, and get better at giving it.