Is there potential for world-class performance in the Land of “Lagom”?

There is a persistent narrative about Swedish culture in which the Law of Jante holds back any attempt to stand out from the mediocre crowd. You’ve heard it before: no one should think they are anything special.

The Law of Jante was, of course, a caricature even when it was formulated by the Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose in his 1933 novel *A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks*. It captures something many people recognise—that is naturally why it has endured so well. But I would argue that the same culture—when managed in a better way—can provide sustainable conditions for impressive achievements.

Sweden’s modern successes have often emerged in environments where the outside world has been close at hand and feedback has been uncompromising: export industry, technological development, research, music, entrepreneurship and elite sport—in recent years, quite astonishingly, even gastronomy. When quality must withstand international comparison, Swedish culture is rarely an obstacle. More often, it becomes an advantage.

This is because a low level of hierarchy, high levels of trust between people, and a strong habit of collaboration create rapid learning when the task itself is at the centre. In such an environment, not every decision needs to be marked by prestige. Arguments can be tested, ideas can move between levels, and people dare to contribute before everything is perfectly formulated. When this is combined with real competition, something powerful emerges: a culture in which one can be both humble before the group and uncompromising in relation to the task.

Swedish organisations—not least Chalmers—have good conditions for being such environments, where psychological safety fosters performance and perhaps even excellence.

Naturally, this is easier to state as a theory than to implement in practice.

We need to be careful that the ambition to create security does not lead us, through misplaced goodwill, to lose focus on quality and competition.

And it is, of course, a reality that the transformation journey for Chalmers as a whole challenges that sense of security. If I feel anxious, or that my future conditions are uncertain, it becomes difficult to engage wholeheartedly in my work.

These are fundamental ideas as we now work on leadership at Chalmers under the concept of inclusive excellence.

They have also guided us in structuring our leadership with two vice-presidents—one for equality and leadership, and one responsible for academic excellence. These two carry equal weight, because it is when these two dimensions of our culture are in balance that we can reach our full potential.

Then we can also achieve world-class standards in this country—call it ’lagom’, or whatever you like!

Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President and CEO of Chalmers University of Technology

 

Under the headline "President’s perspective" the President and CEO for Chalmers University of Technology, shares his reflections on current topics that concern education, research and utilisation.