How Scandlines Is Building a Learning Culture Through Leadership Development
Nanna Vejgaard - Director of Marketing & Digital Transformation at Scandlines
Client: Scandlines
Industry sector:Transport & Logistics
Challenge: Scandlines sought to develop high-potential leaders who could increase their impact by leading with greater self-awareness, authenticity and confidence across the business.
Solution delivered: Leadership in Management Programme
Key results: Leaders returned with increased self-awareness, greater confidence and a clearer understanding of their leadership impact. Nanna Vejgaard, Director of Marketing & Digital Transformation, described the programme as a transformative experience that helped her lead more authentically and with greater clarity during periods of uncertainty.
“ The programme went far beyond models and frameworks. It was about people, trust, self-awareness and the courage to let go of control in order to lead more authentically.”
Nanna Vejgaard, Scandlines
Developing Authentic Leadership at Scandlines
Scandlines operates ferry services between Denmark and Germany and is one of Europe's leading ferry operators. Under a renewed strategic focus on employee engagement and organisational learning, the company has expanded its investment in leadership development, creating opportunities for both current and future leaders to strengthen their impact across the business.
Building a Learning Organisation
Historically, learning and development within Scandlines centred primarily on mandatory operational training. More recently, the organisation has begun investing in broader leadership and professional development as part of its ambition to create a stronger culture of learning and engagement across both operational and office-based teams. The Leadership Trust’s approach to development appealed - long term behaviour change, rather than operational skills development.
As part of this commitment, Scandlines selected a number of high-potential and recently promoted leaders to attend Leadership Trust's Leadership in Management programme. The intention was not simply to develop management capability, but to help individuals better understand themselves, how they influence others and how they can lead more effectively in a changing environment.
A Transformative Leadership Experience
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For Nanna Vejgaard, Director of Marketing & Digital Transformation, the programme became a powerful opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth.
"Participating in The Leadership Trust's Leadership in Management programme at Chelsea Parkfields was a truly transformative experience."
Over the course of the 5½-day residential programme, Nanna was challenged to examine how she leads, particularly during periods of uncertainty and change.
"Over 5½ intensive days, I was challenged, supported and given the space to reflect deeply on how I lead, especially when things become uncertain. The programme went far beyond models and frameworks. It was about people, trust, self-awareness and the courage to let go of control in order to lead more authentically."
Through experiential activities, peer feedback and guided reflection, participants were encouraged to step outside their usual environment and gain a deeper understanding of their own leadership behaviours.
Creating Space for Authentic Leadership
One of the themes that resonated most strongly with Nanna was the importance of authenticity. Rather than focusing solely on leadership models and techniques, the programme created opportunities for honest conversations, reflection and personal insight. This enabled participants to explore how they show up as leaders and how their behaviours influence those around them.
"The facilitators created a safe, honest and deeply human learning environment, where real growth could happen."
Scandlines' HR team observed that participants experienced the programme differently depending on their personal circumstances and leadership journeys. What united them was the value they found in stepping away from day-to-day responsibilities and investing time in understanding themselves more deeply as leaders.
Leading with Greater Clarity and Confidence
For Nanna, the experience resulted in greater clarity about what matters most in leadership and increased confidence in her own approach.
"I left emotionally and physically tired, but also calmer, clearer and more confident in what truly matters as a leader."
While the impact of leadership development is not always immediately measurable, Scandlines is committed to long term leadership development. It sees value in helping leaders build the self-awareness, confidence and perspective that influence how they work with colleagues, teams and stakeholders over the long term.
Reflecting on the lasting impact of the experience, Nanna believes the learning will continue to shape her leadership for years to come.
"This is an experience that will continue to shape me for a long time."
For Scandlines, investing in leadership development is an important part of building a stronger learning culture - which gives the business a return on investment through improved performance of their leaders, the teams they manage and the results the business achieves. For Nanna, it was an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of herself as a leader and return with renewed confidence, perspective and authenticity.
Established Leaders
Leadership in Management
For experienced leaders who want to understand, with complete honesty, how they lead - and lead at their best. Leaders who come through LM lead differently back at work. Their teams notice it and their results reflect it.
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