Power Ladies

Anita Krohn Traaseth - om ledelse hvem er Anita som leder, hva har formet henne (reprise)

·55 min·5 clips
Anita Krohn Traaseth, a top global business thinker, reveals how a Harvard professor changed her view on leadership.
The episode begins with host Røya introducing Anita Krohn Traaseth, highlighting her roles at IBM, Simula Innovation, Veritas, and Innovation Norway, along with awards like Top 50 Global Business Thinkers. Anita recounts her energetic childhood in Sandefjord, influenced by a supportive mother despite her bipolar disorder, and how this fostered security and courage. She describes her career start without a master's degree, negotiating for education instead of higher wages, and a defining moment at Harvard where professor Kotter taught her the difference between leadership and administration. Anita details her first leadership role at Simula Innovation, learning from mentors like Elling Rieshoff and Aslak Tveito, and emphasizes the importance of saying yes to opportunities and asking for help. She explains her transition to Innovation Norway, initially rejecting it due to prejudices about the public sector but being persuaded by a head owner, leading to a rewarding role with a social mandate. Anita discusses the challenges of power, advocating for awareness of its addictive nature and the need to use it responsibly. She shares her rule of limiting leadership roles to five years to avoid burnout, citing her proud achievements at Innovation Norway, including cost-cutting and popularity as an employer. Anita talks about her public visibility as a role model, aiming to recruit more women into leadership, noting the lack of diversity in Norwegian companies. She references influences like Gro Harlem Brundtland and Otto Jespersen's character Thornfrid, and advises women to take line responsibility early. The conversation covers crisis leadership during COVID-19, with examples from Kristin Skogen Lund and Telenor's remote work policies. Anita stresses the importance of communication, flexibility, and not isolating oneself in tough times. She concludes with tips for aspiring leaders: work hard, deliver results, communicate ambitions, and learn from experiences, sharing a success story from her podcast listener who landed a kindergarten leadership job.
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