Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae - Why and How CEOs and Executive Teams Succeed - Nordic Business Forum 2024

What makes CEOs and executive teams succeed? Few people are better suited to answer this question than Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae, who has served on over 25 boards across various industries and currently chairs the boards of Finnair, Orthex, Posti Group, and BoConcept. Beyond her vast experience, she has some personal qualities that make her a valuable source of actionable advice for leaders: she is a generalist who excels in simplifying complex business challenges, and her insights are grounded in real-world practice, not theory. In her keynote, Sanna discussed what makes leadership teams thrive and shared practical strategies to enhance leadership across organizations. Key Points from the Session With Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae: • Leadership starts with self-leadership: Leaders must first learn to lead themselves by taking responsibility and acting proactively before they can effectively lead others. • Results matter: High-performing teams are results-driven, and tracking performance through clear metrics is essential for improvement and success. • Continuous development is key: Organizations and teams must continuously learn and evolve to stay competitive. Leaders must also be willing to make tough decisions about underperformance. • Forward orientation, focus, and fun drive success: Successful teams look to the future, maintain sharp focus on priorities, and foster a positive environment through humor and trust.