Pia Lykke says project management is part of her DNA and that she was born to do it. At Telia she is responsible for project management and making sure that all project managers have what they need to do a great job. Basically, she is the project manager for the project managers.
“When I grew up, my father had a stone business. He imported stones that he tailored for customers for all kinds of use. It was a pretty big operation and we always had business conversations when I grew up. How to meet customers’ needs, but also about making smarter solutions to boost our business. So, in a way, I have had a customer-centric view and business mindset ever since I was a kid.”
Doing the right thing
I studied law and management at university and the plan was for me to take over the family business. And so, I did. I was the CEO for a couple of years but felt that I needed to do something else in order to get some perspective. So, I left. Packed my bags and went to Copenhagen. There I spent a little over a year, finding out what I really wanted to do in my life. And then I found Telia, and never looked back. I have been here for almost 20 years and it still feels just right.
I am lucky!
My role is to be the manager of senior project managers at Telia in Denmark. This means that I help them with tools and methods that makes them better, but I also coach them individually. Coaching to me, means that I try to be as inspiring as I can, sharing insights and positive energy. Right now, we have a great deal of exciting and innovative projects going on and my role is to make sure that we deliver excellence in each and every one of these development projects. Being able to work so closely with developing people and processe, which is something I really love, makes me a very lucky person!”
Customer focus
Customer focus sits right at the core of our company and is a key component in our strategy. It is my job to make sure that we live by that strategy and ensure that the customer sits at the center of all our development projects. I want Telia to be relevant for our customers and we will only succeed and be the front runners if we manage to create high engagement in all our teams.”
Lead with your heart
I go on leadership training courses every year to develop myself and to add new tools to my already brimming toolbox. Some courses don’t have any real impact, but I still remember one program, it was called Soul Leadership and helped me define how to lead my teams with my heart and genuinely understand my core strengths as a leader.”
People inspire me
To me, being curious and loving people, is key to becoming a great leader. I have always been curious, and my greatest inspiration is my colleagues and people in my personal network.“
How I make people grow
First of all, I have a genuine trust in the people I work with. And this is something I show them very clearly. If someone feel insecure, I make an effort to always be there to support and mentor them. You need to create an open atmosphere and a culture of trust to build a strong team. And only through openness and trust is it possible to reach deeper as a team and handle both important and difficult topics together.
