Embrace change by training senior leaders

Hannele Jakosuo-Jansson, Chief Human Resources officer at Neste, explains why it made sense for the Finnish energy company to engage the executive board with training as it went through strategic change.

Change should form part of the DNA of any company. Rather than just changing when they see their business under threat by new competitors or unforeseen macroeconomic events, however, the most successful organizations embrace change as an opportunity for growth.

To make any transformation succeed, you need to have strong leaders who can execute a clear vision. In over 30 years working for Finnish energy company Neste, I have been focused on developing leaders who can execute change successfully. Here are my three takeaways for how to get your top management, employees, and shareholders on board with a major change.

1. Transparency is critical

Early on in my career, I was assigned to take part in the task of transforming the strategy of Neste’s R&D Innovation Center. The…