Anna has been a manager for 25 years. She recently left the Swedish Film Institute after 10 eventful years. During these years, Swedish film has become both digitized, more equal and gained unprecedented international success.

For several years you have been CEO of the Swedish Film Institute. An organization that promotes the importance of culture for society. What impact does culture have on business, and what values does it add?

Culture has an impact on people, and people build both business and society. We humans function best when we are allowed to be whole people, and that includes that sphere. If we see a movie after work that makes us feel something, or think something, we will come to work and share it with our colleagues. We talk and get to know each other, and that's part of a work culture. It doesn't need to be any more elaborate than that, because today all managers know that teams that trust each other perform better. And we also know that new perspectives on old issues create new solutions. It's not a direct impact, but an indirect one. If we had no culture, people would have less food for thought, and without new inspiration and new perspectives, it is difficult to be creative. And without creativity, development stops.

You have solid experience of board work, and sit on several boards of companies in different areas. We come into contact with many young leaders who are aiming for a "board career". What advice do you have for them?

I think people should think about what they want out of board work. It is important that the board and the operational management understand their roles, and many people think that there is much more operational work on a board than there actually is. My view is that the best thing to do is to get a lot of operational experience first, so that you can provide good support to operational management. It is this experience that is needed on boards, and it is what gets you the job. Networking, preferably outside your usual circles, is important. You have to tell people that you exist and that you want to, and you have to do it to someone who has the right conditions to be able to pass on tips. So quite simply, feel free to attend networking events for board recruitment, but even better to go to other mingles and meet people you are not going to compete with for a board position but who may have a position to offer.

How do you describe your own leadership style?

I am a focused and value-driven leader, who leads through my managers. Keeping direction but trusting that the path will not always look the same for everyone is important to me. This means that I develop the vision, purpose and goals together with my managers. Then I follow up to ensure that they lead and develop their activities so that we stick to the plan. It's about engaging, listening and supporting, but not so much about controlling.
I also like to have fun as a leader, so I try to create environments where people can relax and laugh together. See my answer under question one, how culture affects business. I've taken the whole staff to the theater, and then we've followed up with a conversation together. It was much appreciated. (Of course, the Film Institute already included many films, otherwise I would have recommended it. Not to give a gift card, but to go together!)