Leadership of the future: Kristian Szybowski
How do interim managers navigate a constantly changing landscape? In the series “The future of leadership”, we talk to industry professionals about the skills needed for the future. The conversations take their cue from the top-level academic training for interim managers to be held in Gothenburg in May 2026, where theory meets practice to equip tomorrow's leaders.
What requirements do you see for interim managers' skills right now?
It’s less about new specialized knowledge and more about the ability to quickly understand and take action in complex situations. As an interim professional, you spend less time in each system than a permanent employee. The value lies in the ability to understand how the organization actually functions and then apply your personality and expertise in just the right way. In an uncertain world, our most important contribution is to foster an understanding of the system that ensures the organization remains sustainable over time—not just effective in the short term.
How do you systematically keep your skills relevant?
For me, learning is less about acquiring subject knowledge and more about improving how I use my abilities. I systematically engage in reflection and debriefing after each assignment to understand the interaction between myself and the context in which I’ve been working. As AI takes over information management, I’m investing my time in developing judgment and critical thinking. It’s these human abilities that determine the quality of decisions.
Which skill is most important for maximizing your impact at today's pace?
Making the right impression in the right context. The same leadership style can drive progress in one context but meet resistance in another, so the ability to adjust one’s pace and presence is crucial. In fact, it’s often more important to act correctly than to act quickly. The most important catalyst for sustainable progress is quickly building trust and psychological safety. Without psychological safety, the system responds with resistance, no matter how rational the decisions may be.
What kind of immersion do you see as most valuable for an interim manager?
What increases market value is a deeper understanding of how organizations and people actually work together. The most valuable training is the kind that teaches you to identify and resolve the structural and human obstacles that hinder the flow in the here and now. By focusing on how the way the organization operates, rather than just what By doing so, we create the conditions for the customer to continue to grow even after we've left.
What is your best advice to stay competitive going forward?
Invest in your ability to act wisely in new contexts. Competence is an important tool, but without a skilled hand to wield it, its impact will be limited. Long-term relevance is about balancing technical skill with the continuous development of judgment and self-leadership. It is this combination that bridges different assignments and industries and builds true competitiveness over time.
Would you like to develop your ability to analyze and manage complex operations? As Kristian points out, the ability to understand the organization as a living system is the key to sustainable results. Right now, the spring session of Interim Management Professional Program in Gothenburg—a cutting-edge academic program that provides you with the framework to deepen your judgment and your understanding of systems in the most demanding environments.
Learn more about the program and share your thoughts on upcoming sessions here
