A Warm Welcome to Caroline Lind!

Thank you very much.

How do you view goals?

I’m a goal-oriented person. Without goals, you don’t really know what you’re working towards. I see goals as a compass, a direction in life, both personally and in my career.

Exciting! Tell us a little about yourself and Sandqvist.

Sandqvist was founded 20 years ago by three childhood friends: Anton, Dan, and W. Plastian. It started as a hobby project when they realized there weren’t any stylish bags for men on the market. From the very beginning, we focused on minimalist design, functionality, and sustainability. Today, we sell globally and have both our own stores and online sales.

And who are you, Caroline?

I was born and raised in Nyköping, and I studied business administration. I’ve always worked in retail. I started my career at Åhléns in Stockholm and later worked at Craft Sportswear in Borås. In 2015, I became the CEO of Sandqvist.

How do you land a CEO position?

It was thanks to great managers at Åhléns who lifted me up and gave me opportunities to grow. One of my previous managers suggested I should apply for a CEO position, which planted a seed in my mind. A few years later, I saw an ad that Sandqvist was looking for a CEO, so I applied and got the job.

What roles did you hold before becoming CEO at Sandqvist?

I started as a purchasing assistant at Åhléns and later became a purchasing economist. I’ve also worked as a business controller and CFO. At Craft Sportswear, I was responsible for product assortment.

Was becoming a CEO a goal for you?

No, it wasn’t a direct goal at first. But when my manager suggested it, the thought grew on me. I enjoy developing and leading, so it became a natural next step.

Do you have any important goals right now, both personally and professionally?

Yes, I have goals both for myself and for Sandqvist. Personally, it’s about staying healthy through exercise, as I perform better when I feel good. At work, we’re focused on continued growth, profitability, and sustainability.

You’ve implemented a four-day workweek at Sandqvist. How did that come about?

I was inspired by the book The 4-Hour Workweek. The book got me thinking about how we can work smarter and free up time. After the pandemic, I started working on implementing a four-day workweek, and with the board’s support, we made it happen.

Have you noticed any differences at Sandqvist since introducing the four-day workweek?

The engagement and motivation in the team have increased significantly, which we measure. We haven’t seen any major changes in financial results yet, but we’ve learned how to work smarter.

Which days do you work, and how is your workweek structured?

Those who choose to work four days can take Mondays or Fridays off. We’ve agreed that everyone should work together on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for planning. There’s also the option to work shorter days if that fits better.

How do you set goals at Sandqvist?

We start by setting strategic goals at the management level, which are then broken down into concrete goals for teams and individuals. Everyone is involved in the process, which ensures teams take responsibility for their own goals.

How many priorities do you have right now at Sandqvist? And how do you track progress?

We have five priorities that we’re working on. It can be challenging to get everyone to work toward the same goals and to ensure that all activities contribute to the overall goal. It’s important to continuously follow up on the goals.

What is your timeline—annual or quarterly goals?

We set annual goals, but because we live in such a fast-changing world, things always happen along the way. That’s why we check in quarterly to adjust if needed. So yes, we have annual goals with quarterly reviews.

Given the current financial climate, like the recession, I’m not sure how your results have been. But how do you rally the team and keep everyone motivated when challenges arise? How do you handle a situation where you don’t reach a goal, and how do you regain the energy to keep pushing toward the overall objective?

It’s always challenging, but I believe the key is to have a mindset where you don’t see it as a failure. Instead, reflect on what went well, what can be learned, and how to do better next time. That way, you can always take something positive from the experience and avoid feeling like you’ve failed. In other words, it’s important to view it as a learning opportunity rather than a failure. Also, I think it’s okay not to always hit your goals, as long as you learn from it.

I agree, and it feels like leadership has shifted today. When I started working in 2011, there was often a more traditional view where failure was unacceptable. Now, I hear more of what you’re saying, which is really interesting. It feels like a major shift has happened over the last decade. Have you ever worked in an organization where it was very strict about reaching goals and where there were consequences if you didn’t?

Not really. Of course, there are always consequences, but not in a negative way. It’s more about adjusting along the way. I’ve worked in organizations where the owners have a long-term horizon, which has influenced the culture. Even when I was at a publicly listed company, the focus was always on long-term growth rather than just hitting short-term quarterly results. It’s about understanding that we often overestimate what we can achieve in the short term but underestimate what’s possible in the long term.

That’s a great point. When I implement OKRs in organizations, I sometimes notice that boards and owners have different perspectives. While some expect you to reach 100% of your goals, OKRs are about celebrating when you reach around 70%, as that shows the goals were challenging enough. This can sometimes create conflict. At the same time, I often see a difference between those working on transformation—where the focus is on where the company should be in 5–7 years—and those working on “business as usual,” like day-to-day tasks of taking care of customers. How do you think these two goal-setting approaches can coexist?

I think it’s about having a clear division between long-term and short-term goals. For example, if we’re talking about entering a new market, we also need to make sure we’re still serving our existing customers. It’s crucial that everyone understands how they contribute to both the day-to-day operations and future development. So yes, they definitely need to coexist, but we need to talk about them in terms of short- and long-term goals.

That sounds wise. Going back to company goals, how do you break them down to team and individual levels at Sandqvistt?

Here’s how we do it: We start with the management team, where we define the priorities. Then we assign a responsible person for each goal, and they break it down for their teams. The leaders then follow up at the individual level. But what’s important is involving everyone in the process. If the goals are just pushed down from the top, people don’t feel as engaged. That’s why I think it’s essential to give the teams and employees a chance to help set the goals. This creates energy and motivation.

Absolutely. But do you think certain departments are better at setting their own goals than others, or should the process be the same for all teams?

It’s true that different departments have different circumstances. The sales team, for example, often has clear KPIs to work towards, while more creative departments might find it harder to set concrete goals. But I think you can always find common ground when it comes to results and key metrics you want to track.

Yes, the sales team’s results are part of the budgeting process, which isn’t quite the same as goal-setting. But the rest can be more negotiable.

Exactly, and for example, finance departments, which often work with repetitive tasks, need to understand how their work contributes to the overall goal. If they close the books on time, we have better data for follow-up. Every department can contribute to the bigger picture, even if their tasks look the same each month.

Yes, and even a finance department can impact the customer experience. How invoices are sent, the payment process—that’s part of the customer experience too. All departments can think more proactively and consider how they can automate processes and create time for other things. At Sandqvist, do you have any success stories to share, where you reached a goal and celebrated in some way?

Yes, we’ve had many successes during the nine years I’ve been with the company. But if I were to mention something specific, it would be the implementation of the four-day workweek. That’s something we’re very proud of as a team, as it shows we can work differently and still succeed.

How do you celebrate these small victories within Sandqvist?

The most important thing is to talk about them and highlight them. It doesn’t always have to be something big. For example, when we get a new customer or implement a new automation, we mention it and celebrate it together, even if it’s just acknowledging it in a meeting.

Interesting. You mentioned earlier that you set goals both in your work and personal life. How do you set goals when it comes to your health and fitness?

Yes, health and fitness are very important to me because I believe that when you feel good, you perform well. I feel good when I exercise, and I think many people do. So I look at it and think about how I want to structure it. I have set a goal for myself regarding the number of workouts I want to complete each week. Then I also set performance goals, like being able to do a certain number of chin-ups or getting stronger. This summer, I set a goal to start a running streak because I wanted to incorporate more movement into my daily life, so I established that goal, and now I’m doing it.

That keeps your motivation up, then?

Yes, I think a lot of it comes down to maintaining continuity in your routine. It’s not always fun to train, go for a run, or do a strength workout, but I often visualize how I feel afterward. So if it feels tough or boring, I remind myself how great I feel after I’ve done it. I know that it makes me feel good, so that motivates me to go through with it.

Do you have any tips for others who struggle with continuity and for those for whom visualization doesn’t work as well?

Yes, I think with visualization, you can work on picturing it in your mind—imagine the feeling you want to experience. What does it feel like when I do this? Often, we have a tendency to view tasks as burdens, and we almost convince ourselves that they are difficult. When you finally tackle that task, you often realize, “Oh, that went well; it was mostly me just convincing myself it was going to be a tough challenge.”

So, I believe a lot of it is about working on your mindset and envisioning yourself accomplishing things. Again, you shouldn’t set the bar too high all the time. Take exercise as an example—it’s so relatable. If you want to be more active, 15 minutes is better than nothing. Don’t start by saying you’re going to run a mile every day because you’ll likely find that impossible. Instead, say you’ll run a mile a week, and then you can break that down over four days, making it less daunting. Then you start building that good habit.

Regarding goals, Caroline, do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with the readers?

Yes, I would suggest that you need to think long-term and not underestimate what you can achieve over time. That’s important to keep in mind. And don’t forget to follow up on your results and celebrate those small victories along the way. They create energy, joy, and motivation. Thank you so much for having me.