Leadership Profiles: Sofie Östemar

Sofie Östemar is the Area Manager for Software & Embedded Solutions in Uppsala, Stockholm, and Västerås.

What goals do you have regarding your role as a manager?

As a manager, I strive to be a good leader. For me, a good leader is inspiring and supportive and leads the team towards a common goal. I believe in treating everyone with respect and gratitude for their contribution while standing up for what I believe is right. I know that the more diverse the team is, the more ideas and alternative solutions we find, which unquestionably will result in a better result in the end. I focus on empowering the strengths that every individual provides to the team. By practicing active listening and coaching, I can engage with everyone and provide the support and feedback they truly need. By being a good leader, I hope to drive happiness and enthusiasm in my team as we create bold innovations for the future, together.

Which one of our values do you like the most?

My favorite is definitely ‘Bold Thinking’ because it challenges us to create new technology innovations, which is ultimately evolving the world. I like to challenge the status quo; to break the ‘We’ve always done it like this’ way of thinking. It’s important for the growth of modern companies, to keep changing, to find new ways of working, and to encourage their employees to take more risks. Try thinking outside the box, experiment and do things in new ways – that’s how you evolve. To have it as a company value sends a good message, that it is okay to take initiative, and make mistakes, that is how you develop. Bold thinking is edgy, it’s fun and I think it’s a great value that will attract many great experts to Etteplan.

How do you work with inclusion and diversity in your team and how does it affect Etteplan?

As a person, I’m curious about others, their ideas, and their way of thinking. I have the benefit of already working in a very diverse team, so it’s a great starting point for me and nurtures my curiosity well. When growing the team, I will make sure that we continue to keep D&I in focus, which also contributes to the interesting, friendly, and open atmosphere that I love about us.

Expanding the view outside of my closest team, I value cross-collaboration between both business areas and regions very much. I believe this is crucial to the success of Etteplan as a company and adds to the well-being of all of us. We’ve created collaborative goals in my leadership team, to make sure it’s prioritized in our everyday work. The unique competences we have in my area are shared with others, and together we create new possibilities. I have built up a new structure with mixed group meetings, and we have customer visits together. Collaborative events and lectures together are also a great way of working with diversity and inclusion.

We’re all a piece of the puzzle and all puzzle pieces are vital and appreciated. We use our differences to create bold and smarter solutions, together!