#40: Camilla Sløk: The hard things they don’t teach you in leadership courses

I gotta be honest: it is much easier getting top grades at university in leadership and consulting, than actually practicing it! Anybody else got that experience? I thought I had a good take on leadership after studying a master’s degree on the subject. But becoming a leader definitely humbled me. Especially when facing the dilemmas where being responsible for the greater good of the organisation and not only the individuals, that I cared about. Taking the time to listen to employees, care for their development and moving a startup fast enough to get the next funding. All aspects that seem simple in theory but much harder in practice. I am no longer in a startup with extreme uncertainty but I still struggle with being the manager and leader I aspire to be and what I actually am. I therefore had an honest talk with Camilla Sløk who has a Master from Princeton and PhD from University of Copenhagen, has published several books, is currently working as an Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School. And then she also just published a new book on leadership “Magt og omsorg i det eksistentielle lederskab” translated to “Power and care in the existential leadership. We talked about the hard things in leadership which are normally not focused on in the classic leadership literature. An example is how you as a leader navigate difficult times that also challenges your own values. Something that is even more relevant now with the coronavirus where leaders have to make tough decisions. Shownotes: 00:40 - Camilla’s studies in theology 01:16 - Introduction to Camilla's new book “Magt og omsorg i det eksistentielle lederskab” 06:23 - Balance between power and care 10.35 - Thoughts on how to handle a situation with a vulnerable employee 14:24 - Thoughts on freedom and leadership 18:15 - Humbleness and leadership 20:20 - Balance between manager and a human being 23:20 - The use of the term “family” within companies 28:00 - Leaders and vulnerability towards employees 30:53 - Leadership, responsibility and stress 41:54 - How to get in touch with Camilla Connect with Camilla Sløk www.camillaslok.dk https://dk.linkedin.com/in/camillaslok Link to Camilla’s book: https://dpf.dk/produkt/bog/magt-omsorg-eksistentielle-lederskab https://www.djoef-forlag.dk/forfatter/camilla-slok https://www.gyldendal.dk/produkter/martin-jes-iversen/kompagniets-mand-46328/ CONNECT WITH MADS MISIAK FRIIS https://growthisland.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madsmfriis/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madsmf/ If you like today’s episode, then please subscribe and leave a review so more people can learn about the podcast Proudly brought to you in collaboration with KRING and Nuna www.kring.com - a venture studio focused on building impact companies within the industries of Health, Wellbeing and Energy. www.nuna.ai - your personal coach utilizing artificial intelligence to help you structure your thoughts and gradually feel better.