HR Leaders cover image

HR Leaders

How to Lead Across Different Cultures

Apr 3, 2025
Helene Hasselskog, Chief Human Resources Officer at Sweco, is a leader in tackling the challenges of talent management in engineering. She discusses how Sweco is refining its leadership philosophy to bridge cultural gaps and balance empathy with performance. Helene highlights innovative strategies for addressing the talent shortage and fostering a cohesive culture amidst a decentralized organization. Their journey emphasizes shared values, mentorship, and the importance of aligning HR with business goals to navigate the complexities of global workforce dynamics.
39:04

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The podcast emphasizes the importance of balancing performance with empathy in leadership, especially when navigating cultural differences among teams.
  • Helene discusses strategies for addressing the talent shortage in engineering through early hiring and internal skill development initiatives.

Deep dives

Journey to Joint Leadership Statement

The process of developing a joint leadership statement highlighted the varying values and priorities among the executive team. While there was a consensus on being performance-driven, they also recognized the necessity of nurturing their employees. This dual focus on performance and care necessitated discussions about cultural differences among countries, as each manager had a unique approach to balancing these aspects. Ultimately, this collaborative exercise fostered a stronger sense of unity within the team and clarified the core principles guiding their organization.

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