Sari Korhonen, Director of Development at Edita Publishing, took part in the Nordic Bond 001 development program in 2013-14. She summarizes her view on the characteristics of a good leader, saying: “A good leader is remembered for their listening skills – not for always giving the correct answers to questions. A good leader also tries to keep motivation up, has time for others, and sets clear targets.”

Korhonen is thankful for the opportunity she was given to take part in the development program. “Features typical of the sector and the Group were tailored into training and managerial coaching, and the combination worked excellently,” she says.

Following the program, Korhonen has taken on managerial positions from her background as an expert, and she recognizes in herself “the need to have the right answers” that is so characteristic of specialists.

“It has been necessary for me to learn to hold myself back, to have the patience to wait,” Korhonen says. “Being a leader is a service profession in which you help colleagues find their own solutions, resources, and strengths as much as possible.”

The skill of listening is part of emotional intelligence. Annika Parkkonen, Vice President, HR, at Nordic Morning, says this is a topic that is frequently touched upon at Nordic Morning when discussing good leadership.

“It’s a question of interaction,” Parkkonen says. “Trust is built by a genuine, mindful encounter with the individual and the group.”

The topic of change is under much discussion throughout society. Change is at the core of business within the communications sector. What is new, however, is the speed and unpredictability of change.

People react differently to change. Some embrace change enthusiastically, while others visibly resist it. Most people are somewhere in between, observing and weighing up a situation before forming an opinion.

“A manager should be able to identify how each employee acts in a change situation – what their strong points are and where they need support,” Parkkonen says. “You need to be able to read the dynamics of change in individuals and teams. The same applies to the manager: having good self-knowledge helps the manager support the employees.”

The more a manager knows the team and its members, the more they can meet the various needs of the employees. Taking time and being a good listener contribute to this: you need to listen to and interpret the signals coming from the team and its members.

“In a change situation, everyone needs to step outside their comfort zone at some point,” Korhonen says. “New circumstances make people nervous, and the fear of failure often hinders productivity. The manager should also be able to spur on and encourage employees in situations where success isn’t guaranteed, but where sticking to the old way isn’t an option.”

Motivation can be improved if a vision can be communicated clearly: what the goals are and why we have them, and which roles each team plays in the journey. Korhonen has discovered that people often accept change once they understand and accept the goal and their own role in achieving it.

In addition to this, Parkkonen emphasizes the importance of having an identity.

“When the company has a strong identity and the team has a solid understanding of the task, matters can also be prioritized in change situations,” she says.

Sitrus: a pilot for decentralized leadership

Success stories about decentralized leadership and self-governing teams have appeared in the media both in Sweden and abroad. This is also a topical theme at Nordic Morning. The Group’s newest company, Sitrus, was launched at the beginning of September when JG Communication and Citat merged. And Sitrus is purposefully building a new kind of organization and leadership model.

“We can test how decentralized leadership and self-governing teams work in practice, and see what kind of support structures they need around them,” says Annika Parkkonen, Vice President, HR, at Nordic Morning.

It was seen as necessary to investigate decentralized leadership, as younger employees have different views on leadership compared with previous generations. They do not need to be micromanaged; they appreciate freedom.

“For many, the actual work content and customer-oriented tasks are more of a motivation than traditional work routines,” Parkkonen says. “The employer needs to be able to offer employees meaningful experiences. Having independence and freedom when carrying out work tasks can form a part of this experience.”

Text: Sari Kuvaja, Corporate Responsibility Advisor