Nordic Leaders

We dive into the world of influence with Mikko Alasaarela, but influence with an algorithmic twist.

Mikko is an impact-focused AI entrepreneur. He has founded and invested in several tech startups that have raised over $30M and employed over 700 people in Finland, Germany, and the USA. He currently serves as CTO of Cuckoo Workout and consults companies about AI, blockchain and algorithms at inbot.

He is an expert in algorithmic influence, ok but what is algorithmic influence? That is what we explore in our chat with him: starting from diversity we dive into algorithms.

We talk about:

And last but not least

Tune in for the usually funny and insightful chat of this week.

If you want to engage with Mikko he is very active on Linkedin and Twitter

In today's episode we are delighted to welcome Matt  Abrahams, communication expert and lecturer at Stanford University.
 
We will talk all things communication. The episode is packed with insights so please take a notepad and make sure to take notes.

We are going to explore:

• How communication has changed during the pandemic
• How to help our audience to be more engaged
• How to make a great podcast even greater
• The most important skills of a podcaster
• The importance of authenticity in communication
• How did Karate help Matt discover he was a great presenter
• How to manage anxiety before a performance
• What have learned from that pandemic that will stick with us
• How to get diversity of thinking in a hybrid world 

At Stanford University Matt teaches two very popular classes in the strategic communication and effective virtual presenting

He's the host of the popular podcast "Think fast talk smart" where he explores tools and techniques to communicate more effectively.

He's the co-founder of Bold Echo communications which is a firm specialized in communication consulting, and presentation  training.

And also recently Matt published the third edition of his book "Speaking up without freaking out" a book written to help millions of people who wish to present in a more confident and compelling way.

Podcast episodes we mentioned during this episode:

• Brains Love Stories: How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People’s Emotions
• Hacking Your Speaking Anxiety: How Lessons from Neuroscience Can Help You Communicate Confidently
• Make ’Em Laugh: How Humor Can Be the Secret Weapon in Your Communication

Podcasts mentioned during this episode:

• Huberman Lab
• Hidden Brain

In this episode, recorded in June 2021 our guest is Kati Tammisto, (then Head of CX at Sympa and now) CMO at Precisely. Kati is a modern leader with an entrepreneurial background who puts people front and centre in everything she does.

Kati shares her insights on working in 'extremely fast growth' environments and the adaptability and flexibility that one needs to operate therein. She also explains the importance of recruitment and how to lead excellent people in growth companies.

"What we all need is to be led as individuals"

"The game today? Everything is fast. You can fail fast, but you can also succeed quite fast."

"We need to all be understanding the need to adapt and he need to change your own thinking and your attitude"

Our conversation includes;

• how the 'adaptability mindset' works in extremely fast-growth companies
• Kati discusses how to treat and lead people at work, and how to build a team; 'an open puzzle', which requires 'filling the spaces with mouldable pieces'; great people can put the right skills on the table, at the right time
• Diversity and understanding, 'there's so much in what other people can bring to the table, especially when they're coming from diverse environments'
• Kati offers some tools for hiring great people, plus a rather unique, 'crystal ball' recruitment ingredient at Sympa, as well as some wonderful interview questions to steal.... What questions reveal the most about a person? And what to look for in a candidate?

"I'm not a loser - the story I told myself for years"
 In this very frank episode Tommi Lähde - Founder and CEO of The Other Danish Guy brand - opens up with courage and radical candour.  Listen in to this most candid of interviews with the only CEO in the world to work just in his underwear for the first two weeks on the job.

 
 What we cover:
🎧 being honest with yourself and bouncing back (1,47) 
🎧 facing failure and dealing with imposter syndrome (5,55)
🎧 building trust in your team  (13,20)
🎧 building a trusted brand with authenticity (19,31)

Gems from Tommi:
💥 "People deserve to be told the truth."
💥 "Admit your mistakes, it’s o.k. to fail."
💥"The answer to every question is inside me. I just need to find it, it's already there."
💥 "Just as I was about to lose everything, then I was able to admit the truth." 
💥 "Truth sets you free."

• Thank you Tommi for sharing your insights, with David Goddard, Nick Vertigans, and Stefano Mosconi.  
• Get in touch with us on LinkedIn by clicking any of our names and ask us how we can help you develop and coach the leaders in your company, or help you with communication and presentation skills.
•  If you like us, please consider leaving a 5-star review for our podcast on Apple Podcasts. Just click the link, scroll a down a bit, and hit "Tap to Rate".

• André's beginnings and his move from Quebec to Finland
• (4:54) What Arnold Schwarzenegger taught him
• (6:09) How he turned a hobby into a profession (and got all these cool "gigs")
• (9:23) Trust as a key driver of value
• (14:06) The essence of great speaking 
• (20:14) The secret of his success
• (22:05) His upcoming book "Speak or Die" and why he wrote it
• (25:14) Gratitude

Building on 140 years of engineering innovation, Merja Ranta-aho, Executive VP of HR at Elisa, Finland’s leading telecom, shares her own learning with Stefano, Nick and David on 

•Daily experimentation and continuous improvement as a way of life
•How a high trust culture leads to deep learning 
•Embedding coaching in the leadership culture
•Anticipating well-being needs in teams
•Lessons from a decade of hybrid work

If you want some inspiration on letting learning flourish to build a better a future, this is the pod for you! 

Thank you Merja.

In this bonus episode we share some more Joel Willans with you.  Joel describes how he works his magic online to build high value content which reaches more people, including pointers on:

• How to create more buzz, build a community online
• How to get get heard with your podcast
• How to lead your own creativity
• How to lead other creatives

Joel also ponders his next steps as an author, podcaster, and leader of a creative agency.

Honest, open and amusing as ever with some important lessons  encoded in the conversation; are we grown-up enough to hear them? 

This was originally recorded as a bonus part of Episode 38 – it is every bit as insightful, and possibly more fun ! What do you think?

In this episode we explore with Elli Holappa, CEO of Jungle Juice Bar, values-based leadership during a crisis. Elli had spent just 12 days with her new management team in spring 2020 when the global pandemic struck.  Listen in to our fascinating conversation with Elli on how values-based leadership has helped her: 

• recruit and lay-off staff in difficult times with the same kindness and thoughtfulness;
• manage a ‘High – Low role’, going from leadership meetings to peeling carrots in a bar; 
• understand the importance of culture fit and
• having a bit of craziness in order to get in ‘the game’;
• find  the ‘silver lining’ to crisis moments;
• lead sustainably, achieve carbon neutrality and aim for carbon negative.

All this plus some good news about bananas and will  David land an interview at Jungle Juice Bar?

"This is who I am as a leader, and now I know that If the business is heading into the crisis, I know I can act on it. And I know that I can make quick decisions. I can make tough decisions. I can make difficult decisions. I don't paralyze. I don't freeze. I'm completely capable of acting in a crisis."

Alf Rehn, thinker, contrarian and provocateur leaves his day job as Professor of Innovation, Design and Management at the University of Southern Denmark, for half an hour to share with us his secrets including  

🎧 What does it really mean to think?
🎧 Where to find a treasure trove of wackiness in design school
🎧 Teaching gender theory to engineering students or getting butchers to  consider veganism
🎧 Danish leadership and Danish humour
🎧 Making a business model out of confusion
🎧 How his memory works
🎧 Thoughts on books and writing and of course gin gets a mention too 

Challenge your own thinking and see if you can keep up with Alf and his mental landscape of tricksters, scrapes and adventures .  

🎧 How does change scale up from small actions to system level changes?

🎧How did Satu shift her mindset to become a positive change agent in academia?

🎧 What is - or could be - biodiversity respectful leadership?

🎧 Why does Satu discuss psychological safety and values to start every class and workshop ?

🎧 What is the role of trust, openness and respect in leadership?

🎧Is there a collective consciousness of our minds?

🎧 How can we get a social media balance in our lives?

Listen to the inspiring Satu Teerikangas, Professor of Management & Organization at the University of Turku and Honorary Professor, University College London to find out.

David, Nick and Stefano have a sparkling conversation on change and leadership with the uplifting Satu Teerikangas, leaving us full of hope and positivity and the belief that we can all as individuals make a collective difference. 

"Be the change you wish to see in the world: We could all find the Mandela within ourselves, or the Gandhi within ourselves, instead of complaining or keeping to a passive stance.”

“By daily rewiring your brain and reframing your thoughts towards the positive, towards the expansive, there is a visible positive effect on a daily basis. And individual action can lead to collective action.”