Leadership of the Future: Daniel Ericsson
How do interim managers navigate a constantly changing landscape? In the series “Today's interim consultants on the future of skills development”, we talk to industry professionals about the skills needed for the future. The conversations take their cue from the cutting-edge academic training for interim managers taking place in Gothenburg in May, where theory meets practice to equip tomorrow's leaders.
What new requirements do you see for interim managers' skills right now?
I see an urgent need to strengthen social presence and interaction. In an era of remote working and rapid change, small, frequent behaviors become crucial. It is a matter of clarifying the direction and creating the momentum required to achieve the goals on a daily basis.
How do you systematically keep your skills relevant?
For me, it is about active and frequent listening. By having a close dialogue with both managerial colleagues and employees, I can sense the needs of the organization in depth. This creates a shared ownership of the team's development, which is the best way to keep yourself updated.
What skills are most important to maximize your impact in today's fast-paced world?
The ability to combine vision with concrete implementation. This means being able to set clear deadlines and, above all, to follow them up continuously. Without systematic follow-up, even the best initiatives lose momentum in a modern organization with a high rate of change.
What kind of in-depth training do you see as most valuable for an interim manager
It is the pure leadership that is the foundation. Without strong leadership, you are in practice no leader, regardless of technical expertise. That's why I see in-depth training in the leadership framework as the most valuable investment to increase your market value.
What is your best advice to stay competitive in the future?
Make sure you are clearly present in your role. This presence should be tangible enough to be reflected in the organization's metrics. If you succeed in doing so, you will get the team on board, which in turn will lead to sustainable results and new assignments in the future.
About Daniel Ericsson
Daniel is a KTH-educated civil engineer (V) with 26 years of professional experience and a heavy background as a manager at WSP and AFRY. Over the past four years, he has specialized as an interim manager and leader in complex environments, with previous assignments as interim manager at Trafikförvaltningen and main project manager at SRV Återvinning. Most recently, he has taken on the role of unit manager for project planning at Telge Nät, where he combined his technical expertise with the ability to quickly manage and run project-intensive organizations.
Do you want to lead with presence and clarity? As Daniel emphasizes, it is operational leadership and the ability to create momentum through human connection that builds real value. On May 18-22, the Interim Management Professional Program in Gothenburg - the training that gives you the academic tools and methods to refine your leadership and maximize your impact.
Read more and sign up here.
