Boliden is currently in a dynamic phase, standing as one of the Swedish publicly traded companies making the largest investments—both in mines and new smelters.
At The New Leadership, we have the privilege of working with Boliden on leadership development. Throughout our collaboration, we are consistently impressed by the high level of engagement and loyalty across the organization. Naturally, this sparks our curiosity about Boliden’s leadership approach. To gain deeper insight, we are interviewing some of its leaders. Today, it’s Mikael Staffas’ turn, CEO of Boliden.
As leadership consultants, we see ourselves as an extension of the CEO and executive team, supporting and enhancing every employee’s ability to deliver results while maintaining well-being. Our mission is to help Boliden accelerate the implementation of its strategy. Therefore, it is crucial for us to understand Boliden’s leadership approach in order to be able to support it effectively.
Mikael, what leadership aspects have contributed to Boliden’s success?
“No-Nonsense Leadership”
At Boliden, we foster an open and welcoming culture. Employees are well taken care of, without being caught up in internal politics.
I call it “no-nonsense” leadership. We take care of each other and assume that everyone delivers. We have a tight organization—no slack—and a strong sense of delegated responsibility. This approach works as long as everyone performs. That’s why personal leadership and accountability are at the core of how we operate.
Delegated Leadership and Responsibility
Every manager at Boliden is fully accountable for their area. If others have good ideas and can deliver value, those ideas will be welcomed and implemented.
This is crucial because we operate in an environment with inherent dangers and significant risks. Accidents can happen, and employees can be seriously harmed. That’s why we need leadership that can act swiftly when necessary—leaders who are trained to make decisions and take responsibility. We cannot afford leaders who wait for instructions.
This principle was one of the key reasons we successfully navigated the pandemic. Everyone took responsibility. At headquarters, we didn’t dictate what needed to be done—we simply summarized what had already been accomplished.
My job as a leader is to help you do your job, but I will not tell you exactly what to do. My role is also to shield you from distractions that prevent you from performing at your best.
Leadership is built over time but can be torn down quickly. That’s why it must be okay to make mistakes. We cannot afford to create a culture of fear by reprimanding people for errors. If we do, the system will fail when it really matters.
Present Leadership
Another key point for me is to remind ourselves where real value is created. Metals are not produced at headquarters—they are produced in our mines and smelters. Even within the smelters, value is created in production, not in the management team. The true work happens on the ground, not in the office.
That’s why present leadership is essential. Personally, I travel extensively and spend time in our mines and smelters. As leaders, we need to be out there. We must continuously learn, build our knowledge base, and be prepared to make informed decisions when urgency strikes.
It is important to be on-site, engage with the business, show up, and maintain an open dialogue.
Stay on Top of Your Key Responsibilities
Sustainability is one of our key initiatives. As a leader in an operational business, you cannot adopt a mindset of “I’ll wait until we know exactly what to do.” Instead, you must ensure that the work gets done and that progress is made continuously. It is up to you to determine what needs to be done, how to do it, and at what pace—but action is required for us to become truly sustainable and achieve our goals in this area.
So, Final Words of Wisdom for this Interview Mikael?
Life and leadership are like a marathon. We need to endure the long run. Don’t just focus on running fast—run sustainably. But at the same time, make sure you don’t fall too far behind, because that’s something you won’t be able to catch up on.
Thank you Mikael for sharing!
Contact us at The New Leadership for a meeting about how our methodology and programs can be tailored to fit your needs and goals.
