"The manager I shadowed taught me the importance of giving everyone responsibility and clear direction, as well as how to create an environment where both personal and collective motivation are encouraged. We discussed the value of asking, 'What do you want to achieve in the future, and how can we take steps toward that today?' Another important lesson was about adapting leadership to meet different cultural and individual needs. The manager had worked in various countries and placed great emphasis on being attentive to differences and fostering an inclusive work environment."
The shadowing itself involves a student following a manager in their daily work for three to five days. Charlotte had the chance to shadow the leader of a product development team at IKEA, participating in work meetings, observing daily operations, and focusing especially on leadership discussions.
"It was incredibly valuable for me to gain deeper insights into leadership from the manager I shadowed and other colleagues. Being able to ask questions about everything from values to daily decisions gave me a practical understanding of what engaged leadership looks like."
One particular conversation stayed with her:
"When I spoke with a team leader, she described values as an anchor. You can move a bit, but if you go too far, you lose your grounding. Many in the team emphasized the importance of working for an organization with values that align with your own, as it creates a solid foundation. By understanding my own values as a leader, I learned to develop a stronger and more genuine leadership style."
"Being Shadowed gave me valuable insights from new perspectives"
Charlotte arranged her shadowing placement herself while studying for a Master in Management at the School of Economics. Her previous education as a mechanical engineer with a focus on design proved useful both at IKEA and now at Volvo, where she currently works.
"Being shadowed myself gave me valuable insights from new perspectives. It became an opportunity to reflect on my leadership style and discover new ways to grow. How do I actually lead? The woman who shadowed me followed me just as I had done earlier, and because she was interested in marketing, I also arranged for her to meet my colleagues in that field."
Charlotte highlights the value of seeing how things work in practice, but also emphasizes how refreshing it was to be reminded of the academic perspective after a few years in the workforce.
"Ahana, who shadowed me, reminded me of many useful frameworks from the program and had great ideas and insights. I even asked her to send me material from her studies afterward. It became both a refresher and a chance to revisit concepts."
Charlotte also appreciated the feedback she received from Ahana, which helped her think about areas for improvement.
"The student wrote a report about her time here, and although reading it put me a bit outside of my comfort zone at first, it was incredibly valuable to get such comprehensive and direct feedback."
This feedback brought her back to her student days:
"I remember during my studies, we often received direct feedback in team settings, which you might not get as much in the workplace. I appreciated it a lot. Now I know more about how I’m perceived in different situations, and it helps me become a better colleague and leader at the company."