Anna, today you are publishing the list of Sweden's most valuable brands. Can you see any common denominators among leaders of companies with successful brands?

I have had the privilege of working with business leaders from many different countries, cultures and industries. Despite many differences, I have noticed that the success factors are often the same regardless of industry or culture. What stands out as a common denominator behind success is courage. The courage to go against the grain, the courage to stand out. There is power in daring to trust your gut feeling, after of course first having absorbed all the basic facts. Not least in a world that is often characterized by risk-averse accident-prone behavior. The best ideas are generated when we dare to push our comfort zone. Successful leaders recognize that they don't always have all the answers themselves and encourage a culture of employees who dare to try new approaches. Such a culture often shows a higher tolerance for mistakes. I feel that we have moved towards a society where mistakes have become a bad thing. This is illustrated, for example, by the fact that politicians and companies today employ an armada of communicators and PR agencies that are ready with arguments and defenses against all possible attacks. Why not instead use part of the budget to generate new ideas, products and services? If something goes wrong, why not admit that it didn't quite work out as planned, but that the experiment has taught us important new lessons? After all, it is through mistakes that we learn and grow. The most successful business leaders I have met work outside their comfort zone and encourage others to do so too. Every single day.

We live in a world where things are moving faster, we are more connected than ever before and customers are used to having the world at their feet at the touch of a button. How do you see the role of the leader of the future?
Decisiveness will become increasingly important. That's why the internal decision-making machinery needs to be lubricated so that it keeps up with the times. Employees must of course be on board, as it is out in the ranks that decisions are implemented. Decisiveness and democracy must not be at odds with each other, but it must still be possible to take decisions faster and communicate them more clearly than ever before. Discipline is another thing that will be needed as the playing field becomes increasingly fragmented. The holy grail of brand development is to be consistent. IKEA, today named Sweden's most valuable brand, is a perfect example of how discipline has helped strengthen the brand. Central leadership in brand development and collaboration across borders (responsibilities, countries, business units) are prerequisites for the creation of strong brands.

What are your own future plans?
I will continue to be involved in brand evaluation and in strategy and brand consulting. Preferably combined with more board assignments in organizations that are on exciting change journeys.