My SLP journey - reflections from a year of growth

That moment set the tone for the entire year. This wasn’t going to be a program where someone else handed me the answers. It would be a program where I had to think, reflect, and grow.

And I did.

One of the strongest insights from SLP has been the importance of daring to lead. Leadership is not only about making decisions – it’s also about choosing what not to do. It’s about staying calm in uncertainty, thinking one step ahead, and taking responsibility even when things aren’t entirely clear. I learned that it’s perfectly fine not to have all the answers, as long as I invite others into the process and take ownership of direction and follow‑up.

The importance of making conscious choices

The program also made me much more aware of how strategy and financial performance are connected. Understanding which customers we want to work with, what we offer, and why they should choose NCC is essential. Today, I see much more clearly how value, price, risk, and results are intertwined – and how important it is to make conscious choices instead of falling in love with projects that may be exciting but not the right fit for us.

A big part of the year was spent working in groups on a business case. Our group consisted of people from different business areas, countries, and backgrounds, which gave us many perspectives – but also made the task more complex. The biggest challenge was to understand what the real problem actually was.

For months we kept thinking we had found the core issue, only to realize that the real challenge was somewhere else entirely. Every time we thought we were close, we had to step back, ask new questions, and dig even deeper. It almost became a mantra: But what is the actual problem? What is keeping us awake at night?

A stronger network and new perspectives

Eventually, I realized how easy it is to jump to solutions before we even know what we are trying to solve. What we first think is a problem is often just a symptom. The root cause is usually one or two layers below – and the only way to get there is by questioning, reflecting, and thinking beyond the first obvious answer.

This became a wake‑up call for me. The insight that you must understand the root cause before you can talk about solutions is something I carry with me every day. And yes – in the end we did find the problem. But it took time, patience, and many rounds at the whiteboard.

All that work peeling back layer after layer of assumptions did something to me. I started to understand that clarity doesn’t come from moving faster – it comes from slowing down. And that’s where my most important insight from SLP emerged: the power of reflection.

Having the time and space to think – truly think – made me more aware of how I lead, what I prioritize, and how I want to develop. The grey notebook is now full, and it has become one of the most valuable tools I take with me from the program.

Finally, SLP also gave me something else important: a stronger network within NCC. Conversations with colleagues from different business areas, geographies, and markets gave me new perspectives and a sense of reassurance. We face many similar challenges – and we solve them better together.

/Tove Malta
Business Manager, Building Sweden