66 - The Essence of Leadership: Lessons from Asko Känsälä

In this insightful episode of Fail Smart, we sit down with Asko Känsälä, former Deputy CEO of Elisa, a leading telecommunications company in Finland. Known for his sharp thinking and profound insights, Asko shares the experiences, philosophies, and failures that have shaped his leadership journey. Together with Asko we explore what it means to lead with empathy, balance, and impactful simplicity.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

1. Failures and Successes Don’t Define Us:
   • Asko discusses his belief that failures and successes, while part of business, don’t shape identity. Instead, it’s about experimenting, learning, and not clinging to events.
   • “Whatever the mistake, you can always fix it. Whatever the success, don’t be too proud—it’s often a collective achievement.”
2. Leadership as Lifelong Learning:
   • Self-leadership is the foundation of effective leadership. It requires constant reflection and an openness to feedback from peers, subordinates, and even customers.
   • Asko highlights the importance of developing impactful, "dense" leadership—focusing on what truly matters.
3. Impact Through Simplicity:
   • Inspired by art, Asko emphasizes the power of distillation: finding the essential and stripping away the unnecessary.
   • Memorable example: Introducing Elisa’s customer-first strategy with the phrase “Frontline First.”
4. Empathy in Leadership:
   • Asko advocates for understanding people as whole individuals, not just roles within an organization. This means noticing the small things, engaging in “small encounters,” and creating a culture of trust and care.
   • His empathetic leadership was deeply influenced by personal experiences, including caring for his daughter during a difficult illness.
5. Challenging Urgency:
   • A key leadership “superpower” Asko discusses is “stopping the time” to challenge assumptions and find clarity. This approach often reveals that urgency is an illusion, allowing teams to focus on essential actions.
6. Cultural Insights and Creative Thinking:
   • Asko shares how his experiences in Japan and at Columbia Business School shaped his approach to leadership, creativity, and problem-solving.
   • Key lesson: Understand the assumptions and meanings behind people’s words and actions to gain a new perspective.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Leadership is not about perfection; it’s about impact.”
• “Stop the time, challenge assumptions, and focus on the behaviors and actions that truly matter.”
• “Good leadership makes itself unnecessary—it’s about empowering others to lead.”

About the Guest:

Asko Känsälä is a seasoned leader and former Deputy CEO of Elisa. With a career spanning decades, Asko is known for his empathetic yet results-driven approach to leadership. He has authored a book "Joh­ta­jas­ta mes­ta­rik­si" ("From Leader to Master") on his leadership philosophy, focusing on self-leadership, team dynamics, and the art of impactful simplicity.

Resources & Mentions:

• Asko Känsälä’s Book: (Currently available in Finnish) English edition coming soon!
• Inspirations Discussed: Artworks by Eva Ryynänen, Japanese cultural insights, and Olli Jokinen’s coaching philosophy.

Host Team:

• David Goddard - Chief Quote Officer
• Nick Vertigans - Chief Summarizer Officer
• Stefano Mosconi - Insights Facilitator