In the first part of our interview series with IntegPartner’s founder Lasse Ramquist, we explored the potential of unleashing the self-organizing power within organizations – without losing balance. In part two, we focus on the importance of uniting around a story from the future, and how a shared language and a strong culture are critical to building thriving organizations.
When Lasse Ramquist talks about stories from the future, he doesn’t mean an overambitious vision document that ends up in a drawer. He refers to a carefully crafted, sharp narrative that every employee understands – and feels part of. This is where the strategic dialogue begins. Unlike the traditional business plan – which describes goals and activities in a language tailored for the boardroom – the future story must focus on one or at most two central questions and challenges that require mobilization across the entire organization.
“Management cannot solve everything through decisions or projects. The ability to deliver, maintain quality, or drive complex initiatives requires the combined energy, drive, and intelligence of the entire organization,” emphasizes Ramquist.
It’s not about communicating business plans and giving orders – it’s about creating a shared, two-way dialogue about the future. This dialogue should be based on a well-articulated vision, grounded in solid facts, and respectful of people as adults capable of forming their own views. It should invite both hearts and minds to contribute, and encourage everyone to join forces to make it a reality.
It Must Feel Meaningful – For Everyone
A common mistake is starting at the wrong end: formulating goals and roadmaps without first establishing a why. That’s why the story from the future must carry a clear “why” that resonates with every employee.
“There has to be something in it that says: this is interesting for me too, not just for the boss who has bonuses at stake,” explains Lasse. “And it’s not about money, it’s about the fact that it’s simply more fun to work in a company where everyone is pulling in the same direction.”
The story then becomes not only a strategic tool – but also a source of inspiration and belonging. It is only when people see their own role in the bigger picture, and feel that their actions matter, that the self-organizing force can truly grow.
40 Minutes of Condensed Meaning
This means that the leader must first distill all background material – market trends, customer demands, internal strengths and weaknesses – into a narrative that can be presented in 30–40 minutes. At the same time, the foundation must be solid enough that employees can review the same data, ask critical questions, and feel intellectually secure in the conclusions.
- Where are we heading? – A clear description of the landscape beyond the horizon, but not an abstract “pipe dream.” It must spark genuine hope that this is something we can achieve together.
- Why is it important? – Everyone should see the connection to major societal changes, customer expectations, new market conditions, competitor moves, and the internal gaps that need closing.
- What does it look like when we get there? – You need to paint a clear and concrete picture of the future state, one that everyone can visualize. It should convey a sense that it is within reach – if we all focus and pull in the same direction.
But presenting a story from the future is not enough. There must also be room to listen – truly listen.
“The confidence that comes from being clearly formulated and well-articulated makes it easier to shift gears, be curious, and truly listen. If I feel threatened as soon as someone asks a tough question, the risk is that the strategic dialogue turns into a one-way defensive speech,” says Lasse.
Formulate First, Then Truly Listen
Once the story has been presented, employees are set free in smaller groups. The task: to test the narrative.
- Is the message understandable?
- Are facts, nuances, or perspectives missing?
- Do we buy into the vision – and what is required to get there?
For the dialogue to be real, psychological safety is crucial. The leader must be so grounded in their case that they can, without ego, listen to doubts, counterarguments, and blind spots.
“If 20% of employees remain sceptical after the workshop, it’s not that the employees ‘don’t get it’ – it’s the leadership that has homework to do.”
Employees will ask themselves: What’s in it for me? Money and bonuses may work to some extent among senior managers, but other fuel is needed to engage everyone. People are motivated by clear purpose, pride, and the chance to make a difference. A story from the future must therefore speak to the joys of everyday work: collaborating in a team that pulls in the same direction, succeeding in customer deliveries, and experiencing personal growth while being part of a winning team.
From Words to Culture
Ramquist ties back to management guru Peter Drucker’s famous quote: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He argues that a strong culture makes an organization more intelligent and agile, accelerating the movement from decision to result. But culture is not shaped by Friday coffee breaks or value statements on the wall; it emerges from habits, behaviours, and the language we use to interpret reality.
So, the story from the future is merely the foundation. To create a culture where direction, collaboration, and responsibility become everyday practice, more than inspiration is needed – it requires a shared language, new habits, and ongoing training.
“Culture is visible in habits and behaviours. It lives in how people act in daily life, but also in how we talk and think – it lives in language.”
He compares this to a group of African herders who, with a quick glance, can tell how their cattle are doing—whether they need water or better pasture, or if they might be sick. They have developed a shared language that helps them discern what matters in their daily work. In the same way, every organization must build its own shared understanding – its own “eyes to see with.”
“It’s the language that makes us a team, that aligns our thinking. And you have to practice, train, and build that together – over time.”
Here, the story from the future plays a key role – it sets a framework to practice new ways of thinking, speaking, and acting.
Stories Bring Purpose to Life
Lasse often returns to concrete examples from his long career to illustrate his point. One is a company he worked with, founded by a doctor with a clear purpose: to improve the lives of people with severe disabilities using modern technology.
“The entire company was infused with that principle,” he recalls. “The purpose answered the question: why do we exist?”
He also highlights Svenska Kraftnät, a Swedish government authority that manages the national power grid. They have a clear societal mission: to help make a fossil-free society possible, and this purpose is deeply embedded in their daily operations. Despite challenges, this mission has become a unifying force for the whole organization.
“So much is at stake for society as a whole, and they play a key role. That creates a powerful force for collaboration and focus.”
Northvolt – When a Shared Language Is Missing
Lasse also brings up a current example – Northvolt – using its rapid expansion and dramatic bankruptcy to illustrate the risks of growing too quickly.
“Here, experts from around the world gathered to build advanced batteries at record speed. Without an experience-based, shared language (and I don’t mean Swedish, English, or Korean), but a common set of concepts that allows everyone to understand what it takes to build these batteries together in a complex production process. Without these shared eyes to see with, friction is inevitable. The problems rarely stem from the vision itself – the story of the climate transition is crystal clear – but from the cultural, competence-based core that must support such a complex operation.”
Translating Strategy into Everyday Habits
Ramquist’s message is clear: the story from the future is the foundation, but it’s not everything. It must also be followed by:
- Shared handrails – the guides for collaboration and decision-making at all levels, helping individuals and teams create and sustain effective habits.
- Shared language – a set of shared concepts that becomes an operational language, providing precision and speed in day-to-day collaboration. (“are we seeing the same thing?”).
- Training arenas – operational forums where everyone practices professional and respectful communication – while still getting the work done. Practical, everyday training always beats classroom theory.
“This is often where things break down. Communication can falter already at big kick-off events, but the risk is just as high in daily email threads, Teams chats, and work meetings. It’s right here, in the operational whirlwind, that collaboration is truly tested,” emphasizes Ramquist.
When the story from the future withstands employees’ scrutiny and the strategic dialogue begins to live in everyday work, culture gains its oxygen. A unifying, self-organizing force then emerges, propelling the strategy forward – producing a cognitive field that permeates everything the organization does. It creates a fundamental alignment that holds the company together, even when plans must change.
Lasse returns to the purpose of his book Join Forces: Involve Everyone for Success in an Unpredictable World.
“What the book tries to convey is a language, a conceptual framework, and a way to look at what happens in large organizations. It highlights what’s needed to weld the entire company into a united force. It’s about culture, about the kind of leadership, teamwork, and cross-functional collaboration required. But above all, it’s about communication. Because that’s where most things break down in large, complex organizations – we lack a respectful and professional way of talking to each other. Without that, there is no real collaboration.”
In the third and final part of our interview series with Lasse Ramquist, we dive into what happens when leadership loses touch with reality. In today’s complex and unpredictable world, new approaches are required.
Want to know more about building thriving and effective organizations? Contact us at IntegPartner!
