Introducing Henri Lindgren: a man behind the title
Before delving into the subject of self-knowledge, let's pause for a moment to ask: Who is Henri Lindgren, beyond his CEO title?
"It's quite challenging to introduce myself without the work context because my profession has defined me so much during the past twelve years. I'm not quite sure, though, how healthy that is," he chuckles. "But if I had a gun to my head, I'd say I'm a 36-year-old geek from Orimattila who currently resides in Helsinki."
How did he become the person he is today?
"I believe that our wiring is at least partially determined at birth. I also believe that parents have a significant influence on who we become. In my case, I think my parents' differences - my mother was nurturing, and my father was demanding - made me both empathetic and intuitive, as well as logical and task-oriented."
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Why is recognising one’s strengths and weaknesses crucial for leaders?
Often, as humans, we may have blind spots when it comes to ourselves. Understanding our strengths and weaknesses is crucial in many leadership situations. Does Henri find it easy to recognise his strengths and weaknesses?
“I think I'm fairly good at that. My strength is definitely my positivity and the fact that I can process large amounts of data quickly. At the same time, I'm good with people. Balancing these two sides is not easy, but having these characteristics has helped me in my role as a CEO.”
Why is it important for leaders to know their strengths and weaknesses? According to Henri, there are several benefits that come with increasing one's self-awareness.
- Knowing one's strengths helps capitalise on them. Instead of trying to eliminate weaknesses, one should concentrate on cultivating their strengths. You can tweak weaknesses to some extent, but trying to be perfect at everything does not make any sense.
- Knowing one's weaknesses helps in recruiting people that complement your skill-set. Recognising areas where you don't excel allows you to hire people who do. This way, you can focus on the things that bring you the most joy and fulfilment.
"Instead of trying to eliminate weaknesses, one should concentrate on cultivating their strengths."
Defining moments: challenges that increase our self-awareness
Challenging moments can have a profound impact on how we perceive ourselves. Such moments make us stop and think about our core values and where we want to go in life. Henri also recognises how various challenges have moulded him into the person he is today.
One such challenge for Henri was the death of his grandmother. She was the first close family member to pass away, and this made him ponder the fragility of life and what is truly important to him. During this time, he reflected a lot on how his roots had shaped him and realised what characteristics his Karelian grandmother had passed on to him - for example, showing love and appreciation through cooking.
Challenges do define us as individuals, but could they also define organisations?
According to Henri, they certainly do. Lightneer is currently going through a difficult situation with some company restructuring work happening. In a crisis like this, it is especially important to be clear on core values. “Obviously, the situation is going to be painful, but we don’t want to default into chaos where we forget our core values. We need to ensure that everything we do is based on them.”
Challenges do define us as individuals, but could they also define organisations?
Peeling the layers of self-discovery: recognising a core reflection theme
Humans usually have a core reflection theme, which may reveal itself through a repetitive difficulty with certain situations, people, or themes. Has Henri recognised any recurring themes in his life?
“I have noticed a certain defensiveness that kept occurring in situations when I felt criticised. This has come up especially when working with a board of directors. Before, I used to feel like every time I interacted with the board, I was somehow in a situation where I had to try to prove myself. It was a 'me against them' situation of sorts.”
What has helped him deal with this? Henri credits Laavu’s psychological coaching as something that has helped him see board collaboration differently.
"Nowadays, I have learned to take the board's advice without feeling like I, as a person, would be criticised. Instead, I understand that they all have their own agendas and unique perspectives that can provide me with valuable insight on how I can do my job better."
"Nowadays, I have learned to take the board's advice without feeling like I, as a person, would be criticised."
It sounds like he has peeled back many layers. Are there still more layers to uncover?
“I don't think the journey ever ends. You just have to keep peeling.”
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