Courageous leadership: Anita Krohn Traaseth, former CEO of Innovation Norway
| Pages | 51-54 |
| Date | 08 January 2020 |
| Published date | 08 January 2020 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-11-2019-0082 |
| Author | Vlatka Hlupic |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Employee behaviour |
Courageous leadership: Anita
Krohn Traaseth, former CEO
of Innovation Norway
Vlatka Hlupic
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to examine the leadership strategy of the publicly owned organisation,
Innovation Norway, between 2014 and 2019, when it was under the leadership of former CEO Anita
Krohn Traaseth.
Design/methodology/approach –The author, Vlatka Hlupic, Professor of Leadership and Organisational
Transformation at Hult Ashridge Executive Education and CEO of The Management Shift Consulting Ltd,
looked at Anita’s examples of courageous leadership while in office. Anita drew upon the different ‘‘levels’’ of
individual mindset and corresponding organisational culture in the Emergent Leadership Model, in Vlatka’s
book: The Management Shift.
Findings –Vlatka’s leadershipstrategy allowed Anita to oversee a cultural changein Innovation Norway
from a traditionalbureaucratic set-up to onebased on entrepreneurship. Throughtrust and transparency,
Anita was open with her staffand the Norwegian society at large about the transitionalwork, sharing not
only good resultsbut also difficult times and resistance,publishing her personal working contractas well
as the organisation’sgoals. Anita found Vlatka’s EmergentLeadership model an effective and honest way
of guidingan existing culture into another culture.
Originality/value –Readers should come away with an understanding of how courageous leadership
requiresan acceptance that those in power cannot controleverything. Delivering a process,a new way of
thinking and working, can be an extremely challenging and risky transition, but effective leaders will
believe inthat process and follow it through, evenif criticism and dissatisfaction occurs,in the knowledge
that by being open and honest with their team throughout, they will reach business goals, unified and
empowered.
Keywords Change, Leadership, Human capital, Engagement
Paper type Viewpoint
In many businesses, from SMEs to large enterprises, leadership can often be
downplayed or even overlooked completely. However, from errors in project
management during the age of plenty, and from the challenges posed in the age of
austerity, we learn the same lesson: it is the calibre of leadership and empowerment that
is key to a successful business model.
Norway, with its vast oil reserves and a small population, benefits from possessing one of
the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds and a generous welfare state. However, the
Nordic nation suffered an economic wake-up call in 2014, when it experiencedsharp falls in
oil prices. The publicly owned organisation, Innovation Norway was formed in 2004 with a
goal of encouraging investment and industrial development. The organisation was and still
is one of the Norwegian Government’s most important instruments for innovation and
development of Norwegian enterprises and industry, supporting companies in developing
their competitive advantage and to enhanceinnovation.
Vlatka Hlupic is based at
Ashridge Executive
Education, Hult
International Business
School, Berkhamsted, UK.
DOI 10.1108/SHR-11-2019-0082 VOL. 19 NO. 2 2020, pp. 51-54, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 jSTRATEGIC HR REVIEW jPAGE 51
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