Leading Through Complexity: Why Strategy, Trust, and Story Matter Most with Marianne B Hagen

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"I learned that leadership is about the strategic thinking, you know, more than sitting in an email box or asking questions. So I think the more you understand that leadership is about modelling and forming and shaping more than telling and asking more questions, the more I get people with me." - Marianne B Hagen

Discover how authentic leadership, transparency, and self-awareness are crucial for guiding teams through uncertainty and fostering resilient, people-first cultures in today's complex world. This episode offers practical strategies for effective leadership and personal well-being.

How do you stay decisive and authentic as a leader when the world around you keeps shifting, and what anchors you amidst constant change?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• Authentic Leadership as a Core Principle: Marianne emphasizes that leading with authenticity means aligning personal values with leadership actions, even when facing difficult decisions. It's about finding your own story and believing in it to truly inspire followers. (0:49:00)
• The Power of Self-Awareness and Reflection: Good leaders prioritize self-awareness, seeking feedback and taking time for personal reflection (like Marianne's morning ritual of writing, reading, and contemplating gratitude). This practice helps identify blind spots and continuous learning. (5:58:00 & 11:27:00)
• Transparency, Clear Vision, and Compelling Storytelling: To navigate change and complexity, organizations need transparent communication, a clear vision, and a compelling, true story that employees can buy into. This provides people with something concrete to hold onto amidst uncertainty. (18:40:00)
• Fostering Psychological Safety and Accountability: True psychological safety is not about "holding hands," but creating an environment where individuals can frankly express disagreements and feedback without fear of negative consequences, coupled with a strong sense of accountability and active "employeeship." (20:14:00)

Bio

Marianne B. Hagen is the CEO of Randstad in Norway, bringing over 27 years of leadership experience across sales, consulting, and organizational development. She has a strong background in strategic competence management, workforce planning, employer branding, sales and recruitment. Her expertise spans leadership development, culture transformation, diversity and inclusion, and coaching.

Marianne has led numerous global and European transformation and digitalization projects, focusing on building agile, learning-oriented workplaces. She is passionate about fostering "employeeship"—encouraging individuals to take active ownership of their career growth—and aligning talent with business strategies.

Known for her ability to simplify complexity and drive engagement, Marianne collaborates closely with stakeholders and HR teams to design impactful learning and development initiatives. Her work focuses on leadership, employee engagement, performance improvement, and change management, always with the aim of aligning people's strategies with organizational goals.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-hagen-35b453/

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