A real development journey with the Emergency Department at Södersjukhuset, called SÖS Akuten.
Södersjukhuset (SÖS) hosts one of Sweden’s largest and busiest emergency departments — a vital entry point for acute care in the Stockholm region. With around 100,000 patient visits per year and a large, high-pressure clinical staff, SÖS Akuten plays a crucial role in Sweden’s healthcare system.
In such an environment, leadership is not abstract theory. It is daily practice under pressure, requiring clarity, trust, and teams that function — even when conditions shift rapidly.
After a turbulent period and significant changes in operational conditions, the emergency department identified a need to strengthen leadership at several levels. That need became the foundation for a long-term collaboration between SÖS Akuten and Nordic School of Management.
Building team leadership — where operational decisions are made
The first phase focused on the leadership by physicians and leadership nurses — the team leaders who carry responsibility for optimizing operations 24 hours a day.
NSM’s role included competence development around:
- teamwork
- communication and communicative leadership
- organization and change leadership
- handling difficult conversations and conflict management
During this work, a need became clear: the role descriptions for team leaders required clarification. NSM adapted quickly, bringing higher-level managers into joint workshops with leaders to build shared understanding and alignment. The intervention spanned six full days, with all management team members participating in two days each.
Strengthening unit leaders — building clarity and shared understanding
A second key group was the unit leaders. Here, clarifying the roles and how these functions operate within the wider organization became essential.
The program themes mirrored those used with team leaders, but with one adjustment: coaching as a method and mindset received greater emphasis based on the group’s needs.
Importantly, the unit leaders’ own managers participated throughout the process — creating shared insight into challenges and alignment on solutions.
Developing the leadership team — clarity, communication, and collective direction
For the department’s senior leadership group, the work focused on strengthening shared purpose, communication, and clarity around responsibilities.
Workshops alternated between leadership themes and structured work on:
- shared goals
- identified development areas
- communication routines
- responsibility distribution
Coaching and personality-based insights (using five-factor assessments) helped illuminate how personal leadership styles shaped the leadership function. After five days of competence development and coaching, the leadership group expressed interest in continued collaboration focused on their long-term development.
Impact – what the client says
“NSM met us with clarity, humility, and a deep understanding of our reality. Their work strengthened our leadership at every level — from team leaders to the senior management group.
The impact on our organization has been tangible, valuable, and aligned with our needs throughout.”
Sari Ponzer, Ph.D, Professor at Karolinska Institutet (KI SÖS). Former Head of the Emergency Department at Södersjukhuset and Director, Research, Education, Development and Innovation at Södersjukhuset