Nordic leadership

Chairpersons shape more than governance. They shape how CEOs lead. A new Finnish study examining the relationship between CEOs and board chairs suggests that appreciation, expressed through trust, autonomy, and recognition, may be one of the most influential yet overlooked drivers of executive performance. Read more »

Finland is one of Europe’s most stable societies, yet its economy has grown slowly for years. Strategist Konstantinos Apostolatos argues the country lacks urgency and focus. Political strategist Taru Tujunen agrees reform can be slow, but says stability and consensus politics are also central to Finland’s success. Read more »

“I have a choice about when I start drinking. But once I start, I don’t have a choice about when I stop.” For many years, that sentence described the private reality of Thoby Solheim’s life while his professional life told a very different story. Read more »

At the start of 2026, a new work-life topic surfaced in the Finnish media: sick leave taken not because of illness, but because work itself, or conditions at the workplace, had become unbearably frustrating. According to Janne Tienari, professor of management at Hanken School of Economics, the phenomenon may signal something broader. Trust is eroding, and workplace experiences may become increasingly polarized. Read more »

Listeds met with Ulrika Björkstam to discuss resilience, a skill that can be developed at both the individual and organizational levels. Based on her work with Nordic executive teams, low organizational resilience tends to surface in recurring patterns. Read more »

For many Nordic executives, the sauna is more than a wellness ritual. Finnish Sauna Society member Hanna Pakarinen — also known as the winner of the first season of Idols — frames the sauna not as leisure but as a structured environment that enables busy people to decompress, recalibrate, and connect.  Read more »

Leadership fashions rarely move in straight lines. Our discussion with Sami Itani, professor of practice at Aalto University School of Business, suggests they may once again be shifting away from three decades of soft, empathetic management and toward a harder style built on clarity, accountability, and performance. Read more »

In Helsinki this November, the startup world once again convened under the LED glow of Messukeskus. Slush, the Helsinki-based annual startup event often described as the largest founder-focused gathering in the world, brought together over 13,000 attendees, including investors with more than USD4 trillion in assets under management. Yet amid the buzz of pitch decks and caffeine, its CEO, 26-year-old Aino Bergius, moved with studied calm. Read more »

Niko Pakalén, a partner at Cevian Capital, compares the Finnish and Swedish economies and leadership cultures, calling for bolder moves and structural changes. Read more »

Annakerttu Aranko, CEO of the Helsinki-based strategy consultancy Noren, has built her company around a simple but unusual premise: understanding business through the lens of human sciences to advise some of Finland’s leading listed companies. Read more »