But with limited time and resources, how do you make all leaders relate to the same leadership capabilities at more or less the same time in a meaningful manner? The recipe for Novozymes consisted of four elements. 

First, make it simple and tangible. Unlocking Leadership was tied closely to existing concepts, making it clear how it is a natural lever for the already known strategy and a leadership-specific extension of the organizational values. 

Second, “toolify” it. “Unlocking Leadership” was translated into a data-driven 360-degree feedback tool, a revised template for the Individual Development Plan, and specific training modules targeting each leadership capability. 

Third, focus on facilitating meaningful conversations between human beings. Not trying to control every single outcome with rigorous supervision but instead giving leaders the means and inspiration to have good, genuine conversations, weaving the thriving and self-awareness of the individual into the needs and development of the organization. And then trusting them to apply the global framework locally how it makes sense to their context and team. 

Over the course of a year, 583 leaders at Novozymes have received 360-degree feedback through “Unlocking Leadership,” with 95 percent receiving in-person feedback on the insights. 82 percent perceived it as meaningful and valuable, and 73 percent anchored specific learnings into development plans. 

“It works, because it is concrete”, Marianne Bie Frydendahl explains. “It tells us what we need to do, using fewer words and leaving little room for confusion, creating a common language for good leadership and a few impactful tools to support it,” Marianne Bie Frydendahl.

And fourth? Humor. Using a bit of irony generates smiles and laughter, fostering a sense of belonging and humanness. “We expect a lot from our leaders. They need to be good people managers, be on top of their function, and navigate the many changes we are making in a competing business landscape, while coping with the uncertainty of an incoming merger. So, when we introduce new global initiatives, we need to be incredibly mindful of balancing the need for unity with respect for the individual context. We are all human, so we decided to create a small sit-com-like film, where we exposed all the worst-practice examples of how not to conduct development conversations to make it more fun and engaging and less corporate,” Marianne Bie Frydendahl.

While Voluntās were responsible for the directing, filming, and editing, the movie consisted of Novozymes staff as actors giving a human touch to an essential topic. 

Scenes, characters, and punchlines were later repurposed as GIFs and images to serve as a reminder to prioritize meaningful conversations. Knowing that in this year’s Meaningfulness at Work report, the lowest scoring item globally was “my leader takes time to ask how I am doing both professionally and personally, and I feel that he/she listens and takes action,” then nothing is more important to improve our sense of meaning and belonging in the workplace than exactly that. 

It’s been almost five years since the executive management team sat around a table, each taking turns expressing why they work at SGL and what makes the culture unique.

It was the first of many discussions, trying to grasp the essence of the rapidly growing forwarder. They knew that what they were part of was special. But they did not know exactly how to express it. More colleagues from across the globe joined the conversation. Customers and suppliers were invited to give their honest feedback. And then, during a leadership workshop in rural parts of Denmark, a wrinkled piece of paper was circulated. “We make the world a little less complicated,” it read. That is why SGL exists. But how? By always bringing a human approach to everyone, everywhere. An approach that, in the weeks and months that followed, was captured in Fun, Integrity, Respect, and, not least, Entrepreneurship. 

Easier said than done, of course. But fast forward to 2023, and SGL has expanded its workforce by almost 200 percent, achieved an annual average revenue growth of 33 percent to reach USD 3,506 billion, with a presence in more than 45 countries across all inhabited continents. What was an anticipated future became reality – and then some! Adding the impact of a global pandemic and the integration of 5-7 acquisitions per year, you would think that the organizational culture would suffer. 

ast year, SGL launched its Vision 2027. 170 leaders from across the globe were gathered in the middle of a forest for a three-day festival to kick it off. Labeled 1-3-5, it aims to unite SGL’s cultural DNA with its commercial ambitions. ‘1’ points to the aspiration of becoming the most purpose-driven and meaningful company in the logistics industry. For SGL, culture and business are fundamentally viewed as one and the same from the core belief that by growing its people, it grows its business. ‘3’ points to the aspiration of reaching the best 3rd in the logistics industry on earnings.

For SGL to realize its potential, earnings function as financial oxygen to ensure a strong and sustainable business with the appropriate attention and discipline to maximize value. ‘5’ points to the aspiration of achieving a total USD +5 billion in revenue. The rationale, according to SGL, is that the more it grows in size and footprint, the bigger an impact it can have on the world to uncomplicate logistics. In the spring of 2023, SGL welcomed CVC Capital Partners as new majority owners as part of entering the next phase of the company’s growth. 

“As much as we enjoy the prospect of making SGL a success in financial terms, that would be worth absolutely nothing to us if it was not achieved while having fun along the way,

paying respect to the people who work hard every day, being entrepreneurial in the market and having the integrity

with us to be able to look ourselves in the mirror and be proud of what we do. We are now a USD 3bn company,

but without continuously mastering our DNA and human approach, our ‘1’, we will never achieve ‘3’ or ‘5’. With new

owners on board and armed with humbleness, we remain committed to becoming the most purpose-driven and meaningful company in the logistics industry. 

One shipment at a time,” Mads Drejer, Global COO 

& CCO.