2025-02-26
Inclusive Leadership – Urban Björn on importance of diversity
The modern workplace is undergoing major changes, and inclusion has become a key factor for both well-being and success. At the same time, it's not always easy to create an environment where everyone can feel welcome and thrive. Urban Björn, founder of Business As Equals, believes that an inclusive workplace not only makes companies more attractive - it also becomes a competitive advantage in today's business world.
Urban Björn has seen how an inclusive culture can transform both individuals and organizations. With solid experience in Investment Banking, he chose to take the step towards working more with people. A decisive step in his career was when he was commissioned in 2018 to train over 1000 managers and 55 management teams in diversity and inclusion at Swedbank Group. By combining a business focus with behavioral and leadership insights, he could see a clear change in the participants.
– I would sometimes see a person come into the training, and three hours later leave as, as I say, a slightly better version of themselves. It was a huge satisfaction to witness that development, almost as if I saw it in real time, says Urban Björn in Digitala influencer-podden.
Many companies strive to become an attractive employer, but Urban realized that it is not enough to recruit for diversity alone, but that it requires an inclusive culture where everyone has the opportunity to develop and contribute.
– The companies I’ve worked with are looking for a broader range of skills. They don’t want the entry point to the company to be too narrow, but strive for people from different target groups, with different experiences and perspectives, to feel welcome and to be able to perform in the best way based on their roles, says Urban Björn.
Leading a group with different opinions, backgrounds and perspectives is a challenge. It takes a lot of leadership to create a collaborative climate where everyone can feel involved and work together effectively, says Urban.
– Leadership is about listening and letting everyone speak. We must not pigeonhole people and assume that this person is like everyone else just because we have done a disk analysis five years ago and we have found that this person is blue, and so we deal with that person. We are all complex, and as leaders we have to figure out how to get each individual to perform at their best, based on their own circumstances, says Urban Björn.
Throughout his career, Urban Björn has combined strategic business thinking with a deep understanding of human relations. With over 17 years in the financial industry and numerous leadership roles, he has established himself as one of Sweden’s most sought-after lecturers, contributing to the work for a more equal society. He emphasizes that companies that invest in inclusion and gender equality not only become more attractive employers, but also stronger business partners.
– I’ve had clients who lost business because their salespeople couldn’t explain what they were doing in terms of gender equality and diversity. It’s a competitive factor today, says Urban Björn.
Urban’s message is clear: creating an inclusive workplace is not about “sprucing up the surface” with a more diverse website. It requires leaders to actively remove barriers and create an environment where everyone can perform.
Listen to the full episode on “Digitala influencer-podden”. The episodes are released on Thursdays, and can be found wherever podcasts are available.