We caught up with Imse Spragg Nilsson. She has a background in the Scouts and has been active in the work of the EU’s youth policy strategy. She was also a board member of the European Youth Forum. Today she works at Scouternas Folkhögskola, and she is the project manager of a program called Value-based Leadership.
by Emma Aasa
Can you tell me about what you do at Scouternas Folkhögskola?
Imse: I am the project manager of an education program called Value-based Leadership. We want our students to discover and develop their leadership styles. Nowadays, I spend a lot of time developing the curriculum. We are exploring working more with team values by using congruence maps and group evaluations.
In the program, you find Scouts, of course. Still, the attendees also represent other fields of organizations, from individuals within startups and established companies, who all wish to expand their leadership skills.
So, how does it work?
Imse: Everyone makes a ranking and gets a value map, and then we work with storytelling. During this phase, we get to know each other through our values and build self-awareness. We find our language and our way of relating to our values. Then we’re off to the Leadership Island.
I have always been interested in value-driven leadership. Somewhere along the way Point of Value and I found each other, and it has been a successful collaboration from the very start.
Can you tell me about Leadership Island?
Imse: It’s the Scouts’ education system, where we focus on the individuals to challenge themselves. You step ashore on this fictive island and stand at the pier. Then, you can choose where you want to go. You create your path according to your interests and the skills you want to develop.
How did you encounter Point of Value?
Imse: I have always been interested in value-driven leadership. Somewhere along the way, Point of Value and I found each other. It has been a successful collaboration from the very start.
All my students make great inner journeys during the course. Many say that the ranking has helped them put their values into words, widening their self-awareness. Knowing your values help some make significant life changes: resign, break up with their partner, or move abroad.
How has working with values made a difference?
Imse: We all have different experiences and values, and we make the best use of them when we can pinpoint them. All my students make great inner journeys during the course. Many say that ranking has helped them put their values into words, widening their self-awareness. Knowing your values help some make significant life changes: resign, break up with their partner, or move abroad.
