Leading your boss in business seems counterintuitive but is one of the most important skills for senior leaders to master, according to Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae, Chair at Finnair and a number of other high-profile Nordic businesses. Sanna has been honoured as Finland's most influential woman in business for multiple years.
“This is a senior executive dilemma. We are always better holding our mouths open, than our ears open.”
In the fifth part of our Leadership Unlocked podcast series, Sanna speaks to Professor Bernd Vogel, Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership, about her mantra of saying yes to ‘fewer, bigger, better’ things and the importance of saying ‘no’.
Sanna’s candid views on leadership cover relentless measuring and improving, being boyfriend material - or not - as a leader, the temptation to talk instead of listen, scenario management, and how avoiding difficult discussions and glossing over dilemmas creates an unhealthy workplace culture. She is also not interested in her business legacy or one to waste a good crisis.
“There's always something on the energy of crisis that you can change.”
Throughout the series Bernd is joined by guests in senior leadership roles from all walks of life – including the media, retail, transport and governmental organisations – to share their leadership journeys, experiences, setbacks, learnings, and motivations, to inspire our audience.
Topics tackled throughout the series include: self-leadership and leadership as a platform; the importance of making tough choices; accepting and jumping on serendipity; the art of influencing; knowing when to get out of the way; the reality of self-doubt and setbacks; and questions around age and ego. Guests also share which leadership myths they would like to eradicate if they could, which produces some passionate responses.
