Developing leaders who inspire people to thrive
One thousand leaders from all over If have embarked on a nine-month long journey to develop their leadership skills. At If, our leaders shall support a culture that makes each employee feel safe and included, ensuring that everyone can truly flourish.
In 2022, we created the If Leadership Compass Program to develop our leadership culture. Our leaders play a key role in creating a safe work environment, and to support and empower their employees, they need knowledge and skills to grow in their roles. The Leadership Compass Program offers a development arena where leaders can reflect and work on their personal learning journey in leadership.
– The objective of the mandatory program is to draw attention to the aspects of leadership that are most important for the development of If, says Anna Lundquist, who is Head of People Strategy and Culture.
Coaching and workshops
The program kicked off at 8 venues across the Nordics and the Baltics in October 2022. One thousand If-leaders from all leadership levels participate.
– For If to become an even more caring and inclusive company towards our customers and our employees, our leaders need to have a deep understanding of how they contribute to the leading of If, going forward, says Lundquist.
The program continues with sprints and workshops throughout 2023. Every leader will also have individual coaching sessions with a professional coach.
– A leader’s ability to create trust, motivate and make safe spaces is important in building winning teams, explains Lundquist.
A compass that helps leaders to navigate
The Leadership Compass consists of four guiding principles and highlight areas such as:
- building an inclusive and inspiring working climate
- providing clear direction
- enhancing collaboration
- seeing things from different perspectives
Head of DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Ran Lavie, describes the program as a practical set of principles for leaders to utilize in their daily work. To perform at their best in today´s uncertain and ambiguous environment, leaders need skills that differ from those that helped them succeed in the past:
– We wanted to create a compass that truly addresses the challenges we face. The principles of the Compass enable people to collaborate, to dare to question the existing way of doing things, and to have the accountability to create something different that takes us further, he says.
Employees are the key to future success
A diverse and inclusive work environment promotes psychological safety, which allows employees to be themselves and feel comfortable when bringing their unique perspectives and ideas to the table.
This, in turn, leads to more creative and innovative problem solving. Ultimately, a great work environment will benefit the overall success of the organisation.
– We see the Leadership Compass Program as part of our cultural journey at If. It is up to each of us to continuously explore, learn and develop how to grow in our respective roles at If, says Anna Lundquist.
The 4 principles of the Leadership Compass:
Make it all about people.
Build a team that is engaged with the goals and customers. Taking care of people means they will take care of customers, who in return will come back. Putting our people first enables creating a healthy and safe work environment for your people to thrive and achieve the goals set.
Empower through direction.
Set a clear direction, co-create goals, coach and develop your people to outperform their challenges and enable them to succeed. It’s an opportunity for you to focus on deliverables and delegate responsibility, helping your team to thrive in their field of expertise, bring ideas to life and find a sense of purpose at work.
Enhance collaboration.
Work collaboratively by encouraging co-operation and engagement within and across teams, business units and areas. It is essential to ensure that we always work towards our purpose, that we break down silos and constantly share knowledge company-wide.
Take an outside-in perspective.
This enables us to understand the forces that contribute to value creation. It is an opportunity for leaders to set up new initiatives and embrace change, by bringing in new perspectives, integrating customer insights and by being knowledgeable about the insurance industry.