12May2026
Leader’s Digest | May 2026
by: Nordic Business Forum
Welcome to the May 2026 edition of the Leader’s Digest, your monthly guide to business leadership. In this issue, we’ll discover the theme of decision-making.
Contents
- Blog: The Neuroscience of Making Good Decisions
- Podcast: How to Decide When to Take a Public Stand?
- Video: Decide Like a Leader – Insights from NBF 2025 Speakers
- Webinar: The Dangerous Comfort of AI
- Speaker of the Month: Kjell A. Nordström
- Introducing the NBF 2026 Event Partners
- Inspirational Quote by Jim Collins
New Leadership Insights
The Neuroscience of Making Good Decisions
— Our Most Recent Blog
Decisions feel rational in the moment, but neuroscience suggests otherwise
Stress, emotions, and cognitive biases quietly shape how we think — especially under pressure. The good news is that better decision-making is less about having all the answers and more about creating the right conditions for clear thinking.
In our latest blog, we explore the neuroscience behind decision-making and share five practical ways leaders can improve their judgment in complex situations:
➡️ Avoid making important decisions under acute stress
➡️ Invite perspectives that challenge your thinking
➡️ Deliberately shift viewpoints before committing
➡️ Identify the hidden emotions and biases influencing your choices
➡️ Sleep on major decisions instead of reacting immediately
The way we think changes under pressure and understanding that can fundamentally change the way we lead. Read the full article to learn how neuroscience can help you make better decisions at work and beyond!
How to Decide When to Take a Public Stand?
— Latest NBF Podcast Discussion
Your team and your customers expect your values not just to be stated, but reflected in action. And silence can actually be considered very loud…
This reality combined with an increasingly polarized society creates a dilemma for leaders: If you stay quiet, and you may lose trust, but also if you speak out, you may alienate stakeholders who disagree.
In our latest podcast, CEO of Miltton New Nordics, Annika Arras and marketing advisor and author, Thomas Kolster explored the topic of corporate activism. One of the ideas that stood out was that corporate activism is not about commenting on every societal issue. It’s about deciding where you stand, defining where you have credibility, and determining where you can create real impact.
From the conversation, we gathered some principles for CEO and corporate activism:
→ Start with values, not trends
→ Speak where you have credibility
→ Not every issue requires your attention; pick your battles
→ Build a culture of open communication
→ Align your words with actions
→ Play the long game
The question is no longer whether leaders should take a stand, but which stand to take and when.
Decide Like a Leader
— Insights from NBF 2025 Speakers
In the fifth episode of our Behind the NBF 2025 Keynotes series, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Diana Kander, and Risto Siilasmaa share their tips on effective decision-making. Here are some insights we found useful:
Learn how to recover from bad decisions: Sukhinder Singh Cassidy highlighted that every leader makes bad decisions—you can’t win every time. So, the key is to learn how to bounce back and learn from the mistakes quickly.
Create a culture where bad news is good news: Risto Siilasmaa’s rule for avoiding catastrophes is to create a culture where people are rewarded for flagging failure early. That’s why he says that good news is no news, no news is bad news, and bad new is actually good news.
Combine data with human insight: Diana Kander pointed out that mindlessly following data can lead to very poor decisions. Especially with complex and strategic decisions, human insight and intuition must be involved.
Watch the full 6-minute video to learn more!
The Dangerous Comfort of AI
— Webinar with NBF 2026 Speaker Shawn Kanungo
Are we truly becoming more innovative—or just faster at doing the wrong things?
In this sharp conversation, innovation strategist and NBF 2026 speaker, Shawn Kanungo, explored the illusion of progress. As organizations rush to adopt new technologies, automate processes, and scale faster than ever, many leaders mistake speed for innovation and activity for impact.
Read the full summary or watch the recording for more insights:
NBF Spotlight
Speaker of the Month: Kjell A. Nordström
Kjell A. Nordström is an economist and author known for his provocative ideas. He has spent decades helping corporations and governments to navigate complexity. His bestselling books, including Funky Business and Momentum, examine the forces reshaping work and leadership.
At NBF 2026, Kjell will give a keynote tapping into “wild knowledge”: the unconventional, intuitive insights from the fringes of your market that machines overlook.
Introducing the NBF 2026 Event Partners
So far, we have confirmed an extraordinary group of partners to help us create the best ever Nordic Business Forum in September! We are truly excited to collaborate with each of these organizations, and can guarantee that they will all contribute to making the event experience better. Warm welcome to each partner! ✨
Stop and Think
“Bad decisions taken with good intentions are still bad decisions.”
Jim Collins
