Published: 25-10-2024 14:37 | Updated: 28-10-2024 15:23

Many satisfied participants at the NVS Future Academic Leaders program

On June 17, the training program ‘Future Academic Leaders’ (FAL) for NVS concluded, after running for 1,5 years. 36 participants completed the program, which included a mix of new and already established managers, as well as employees on their way to potentially become leaders in the future. There is a basic FAL program at KI, which NVS has tailored to suit our needs. The results of the evaluations indicate that the participants were very satisfied with the program. Here are some comments.

Nina Brodin, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of the Division of Physiotherapy. Photo: Nina Brodin.

Nina Brodin has been the Deputy Head of the Division of Physiotherapy for four years. She stepped into the role of manager in the middle of the pandemic, with the challenge of adapting to everybody working remotely.

This is the first time Nina has attended such an extensive leadership training. She has previously taken leadership courses for research group leaders as well as a 15-credits course in Academic Leadership at Vårdalinstitutet (The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences).

“I take most of what I learned from this training with me”, says Nina. “It was a wonderful opportunity to get coaching and to get to know myself better. This has helped me both as a leader and as a person, and I got to do it during work hours!” she exclaims. “Now I understand that it is important to be comfortable with who you are. Wow, what a thing!”

Nina is satisfied with the various modules and thinks they cover all areas, based on her experiences. She already knew a lot about KI, but she learned more about the wider context, the international perspective, and what it means to work in a government agency.

“There was plenty of time to complete the FAL program” she thinks, “and many practical tips were given”.

There is really nothing that could have been done better, according to Nina. Perhaps one afternoon was a bit off, but overall, she is very pleased.

“The hardest part was maybe that we were a mixed group with both employees and managers in the same leadership course”, she says. “I feel more confident in my role as a manager now”, Nina continues. “I can put my own thoughts into words. It was very valuable to talk to others in the same situation.”

In addition to the extensive content of the training itself, Nina also appreciates the setting with nice venues, good food, and great colleagues.

Nina says that she really never wanted to become a manager, but because she is curious and wants to know what is going on, she chose to try this path. She also has a strong drive to help and to improve things.

“When unclear directives come from the top, I like to break them down and make them understandable. When you succeed in that, it becomes more fun, and the employees are more satisfied. Besides, I like administration and routines. There is a charm in rules and paperwork”, concludes Nina Brodin.

The best thing about being a leader is getting all employees on board. Sharing a common goal and then being able to motivate and stimulate the employees along the way.

Maria Fjell

Maria Fjell, Lecturer at the Division of Nursing. Photo: Private.

Maria Fjell at the Division of Nursing does not presently hold a managerial position, but she has various leadership roles as a course coordinator and also as the programme director for the Study Programme in Specialist Nursing, Oncological Care.

This is not the first time she has attended such an extensive leadership training program. She has a background in the Armed Forces and has, among other things, completed “UGL” (Development of Group and Leader).

“What I take away from FAL is mainly that it has been an incredible privilege to attend the program, which has also lasted for 1.5 years. It is always a personal journey, with personal development,” says Maria. “I have also learned a lot about KI and how complex it is, which has been extremely useful”, she continues.

Maria sees the training as a large smorgasbord, with different parts to pick from. She would have liked to delve deeper into certain parts but realizes that it was not possible during the time frame of the program. 

“The coaching has really supported us,” says Maria. “It has also been good for networking, to get to know other parts of the organization. I have gotten to know others and gained insight into their work and how they handle things.”

Maria thinks that some modules needed more emphasis, such as practical coaching exercises and conflict management. Furthermore, it would have been good to have basic leadership training before FAL for those who completely lack leadership experience, she thinks.

Maria believes that nothing could have been done better in the program, but that some things could have been made clearer. Mainly the fact that the group consisted of both current managers, and employees who are intended to become future managers. There was no clear purpose with this mixed setup, and many viewed it with some suspicion.

“Perhaps we could have worked on how we can utilize each other,” suggests Maria. “You could always add more, such as addressing complex challenges in the different divisions.”

From a KI perspective, Maria, who has previously worked as a manager at both The Karolinska University Hospital and in the Armed Forces, feels strengthened in her leadership role.

“This is a complex organization with many different functions, but now I have at least gotten a wider sense of understanding.”

Maria thinks that FAL exceeded her expectations. She really appreciates being able to get away and not having to complete the training at her workplace, to be able to just focus on this and enjoy good food and meet colleagues! She also thinks that most of the lecturers were incredibly good. They have really brought in people with expertise in their fields.

“It would be fun with a follow-up a year later,” says Maria. ‘What has happened since last time? That would give us the opportunity to try out and reflect on what we learned.