ACLOS+ Opens Its Doors
On June 18th, the Aarhus Center for Leadership and Organizational Sustainability (ACLOS+) was officially launched at Aarhus University, bringing together researchers, managers and professionals for an afternoon of insights, discussion and networking.
Dean of the BSS faculty Thomas Pallesen set the tone for the day, highlighting the timeliness of the new center: "In a time marked by complexity and turbulence, there is a great need for knowledge about the impact leadership can have."
The keynote was delivered by Torben Dahl Nyholm, CFO of Arla Foods, who spoke from experience about values-based leadership and organisational resilience. As he put it: "Resilience starts with people and with decisions made close to where reality unfolds, enabled by trust and empowerment."
Center director Janka Stoker followed with an academic keynote drawing on decades of leadership research. Her three key takeaways resonated with the audience: different times demand different leadership, leaders should be selected on evidence rather than instinct, and what leaders actually do often differs from what they think they do.
Center researcher Louise Lindbjerg then showed how Denmark's unique data infrastructure makes it possible to follow individuals and firms across time, powering research that is both academically rigorous and practically relevant. Her own work, published in the Strategic Management Journal, found that hiring former entrepreneurs into established organisations is positively associated with firm innovation, particularly when placed in middle management roles.
A lively panel discussion led by center director Harry Garretsen followed, with Ouafa Rian, HR Director and Business Partner at Grundfos, Torben Dahl Nyholm, and Margit Sejerkilde, CEO of Key2Quality. Reflecting on what the research presented during the day meant to her, Margit concluded that: "The ambition is clearly to build bridges between research and the business world, and I think we can all benefit from that."
The event closed with a reception and a shared sense of excitement about what lies ahead. ACLOS+ will return after summer with monthly 1-2-3 Breakfast Sessions for managers on Leadership in Turbulent Times: sharp, research-based sessions with practical takeaways. Stay tuned!
