Focus on what matters most: use the 80-20 rule

We talk a lot about the 80/20 rule, where we have to focus on the 20% of the issues that have 80% of the impact. Especially when it comes to sustainability, it’s important to establish a clear strategy to focus on what matters most. It means sometimes I have to be the boring person in the room [at electric vehicle company Polestar] and say no to projects that might be popular or look really good on Instagram, if they really don’t have an impact. It also ensures that my team is not overworked.

Another thing that leads to burnout is that we lose the connection with our own voice and the purpose that filled us when we went to college, or whatever. It is important that my team and I stay connected to our own “why”. In the corporate world, you can lose sight of your own way of talking about things. Corporate culture is great as long as you have strong messages, clear statements, etc. But I want my team to find their own voice and feel like they’re always questioning things they don’t see us doing enough for – and seeing that it’s good. This means they are making the most of the day and are close to the goal we have.

By the time she wakes up

Between 5 and 6 a.m.

The first thing she does in the morning

“I have a one year old terrier and he is wide awake when I get up. We go to the kitchen, have a cup of coffee and sit at the window. I’m trying not to grab the phone, but to sit down with him and look outside and think about, what do I want to do today? What should I focus on? “

Productivity tools or applications she uses

“A small notepad, from the French company Rhodia. Makes me write, like, only five things to do for the day. I had giant to-do lists that I had never flipped through, which at the end of the day felt like I had failed miserably.

How her routine has changed over the past 18 months

“Like so many others, I had a dog during the pandemic. It saves me from my workaholic tendencies. He has to go out three times a day. And he needs to run in the forest. So that’s what I did.

Strategy for working with colleagues in different time zones

“Yesterday I had this amazing day, where I started with a meeting with my Chinese colleagues and ended the day with a meeting with my colleagues in San Francisco. I’ve worked in global companies – Ikea, a fashion company, and now Polestar – for so long that I know time zones by heart and when to message someone. It is important not to interrupt people when they are supposed to be resting at home.

Best habit

“The time I carve out with my husband. Saturday morning, we go down to the seaside – I live in Gothenburg, on the west coast of Sweden – and we swim. When we get back, we cook breakfast for the children. It’s so energizing. During work days, if I have an hour for lunch, I go down with my dog ​​for a quick swim.

Worst habit

“I am so impatient that I tend to take on the role of leader of any meeting I attend. Which is really boring, I think. But I find myself doing it. It’s because I want to get things done.

The last thing she does at night

“I read. It just takes a page or two [of a novel], and I sleep.

It’s time for her to go to bed

10:00 p.m.