Advantage

Clear and accessible

- My employees know that I am available and have time for them. Then they also know what I expect from them, says Line Konglevoll in PLAN-B.

What made you choose the diploma program?
- I am a structured type who likes to organize, and since I wanted to be in a slightly smaller environment than at the University in Oslo, it became BI. I considered switching to marketing along the way, but enjoyed the class and stayed.

What kind of leadership ideals did you get from BI?
- Learning proper project management was very relevant. Understand the importance of being a generalist and not a specialist. Have an overview and deliver at the right time and the right cost. I was involved in a project already in the first year, as the host of a team in a knowledge competition. Harald Rønneberg was 24 years old and newly appointed marketing manager at BI, and we got to know each other through that project. We did several projects together at BI, and today, over 20 years later, we work together in PLAN-B. He is the chairman of the board, and I am the CEO.

What makes your industry and your company a rewarding place to work?
- We create content on all platforms, and our job is to inspire, delight, and entertain. The fact that we get an immediate response to what we produce, whether it hits or not, is rewarding.

PLAN-B means a lot to me. We are several employees who own a part of the company, which makes it a personal workplace.

What challenges do you spend the most energy on as a leader?
- In a positive sense, what is challenging is that we have grown in recent years, with several business areas linked to our profiles. Also, to be able to attract new profiles, especially among the younger ones. Besides, we have expanded the content page with TV productions, podcasts, and commercials.

What has been the heaviest downturn in your professional life?
- It was not actually a downturn, but rather something I learned a lot from. And which I was able to complete thanks to a part-time study through “AFF; Management for women in small and medium-sized enterprises”.

I had been on parental leave for a year and returned to a workplace where the staff had grown, and I only knew the half of it before. All of these I had to lead, at the same time as I had to be a mother. That transition was too harsh, and I soon felt like a bad leader. I was open to my gang, asking for honest input on what worked and what did not. It was painful but very instructive - and I took hold of what was important. Slowly but surely, we built a trustful relationship, and I could be a humble, open, and honest leader.

What are you most proud of having contributed to?
- That we have maintained an excellent PLAN-B culture for 20 years, which makes us an attractive workplace in a pressured industry.

Which of your personal qualities have you benefited most from in your work?
- My ability to see people and be an accessible leader shows that I have time for the employees. And be clear on what I expect.

If you were to take a part-time study for managers next to the job, which field would you like to enter?
- Our profiles are 40 unique people, which in turn, are 40 exclusive brands to be built and developed. A more significant in-depth study of branding and product development on people to reach their potential, could be very exciting.

Do you have a leadership ideal?
- I do not have a specific leadership ideal, but the people I get to work with every day are ideals for me. Also, I meet leaders in connection with work that inspires me.