For more than two decades, Karin Zingmark has worked in industries where change has been a constant part of everyday life. From television and media to technology at Microsoft, she has been closely involved in digital transformation and the new demands it places on leadership, organisations and communication.
Today, Karin works as a strategic advisor, speaker, moderator, author, investor and professional board member. She helps leadership teams and organisations build trust, create clarity and turn change into action. In 2025, she also stepped into an operational interim role as Acting Head of Sales & Marketing at Svensk Byggtjänst.
We met with Karin to discuss what it takes to lead through change, why external leaders can sometimes make a decisive difference, and how boards and leadership teams need to respond to the accelerating pace of technological development.
You have spent much of your career working with change. Why is change management still so difficult for many organisations?
“I have had the privilege of working in industries where change has been a constant throughout much of my career. In television, I was part of the shift from traditional linear TV to internet-based and on-demand distribution. The transformation continued in technology at Microsoft, where digitalisation, social media and an increasingly connected working life changed both business models and ways of working.
What fascinates me is that technology is often the easiest part. The real challenge lies with people and organisations. When organisations get stuck, it is often because of anxiety and fear. People are reluctant to leave behind what they know; they are afraid of failing, and as a result, they set cautious goals. That also makes it difficult to genuinely test new ways of working.
Change requires an environment where people dare to challenge both themselves and one another. If something does not work as we expected, it does not have to be a failure. It can be an extremely valuable learning experience, provided the culture allows us to talk about it openly.
That is where trust and communication become crucial. When people feel safe enough to be honest, ask questions and raise potentially uncomfortable issues, the organisation becomes better equipped to change.”
You have for a long time focused on trust-based leadership and communication. What does it take to put these principles into practice?
“Trust is not about being nice or avoiding conflict. On the contrary, it is about creating the conditions for people to be clear, take responsibility and dare to express what they really think.
This becomes particularly important during periods of change. When people feel uncertain or anxious, behaviours can emerge that make the transformation even more difficult. We may defend old ways of working, withhold information or try to control the situation in different ways. Leaders therefore need to create a culture where people feel they can influence what happens. We need to make time to build relationships and understand one another, rather than focusing solely on processes and plans.
I often say that communication is the engine that makes change happen. The strategy may be absolutely right, but if people do not understand it, believe in it or feel they can contribute, it will not have the desired impact.”
You have recently gained experience of interim management from an operational perspective. How has this changed your view of interim leadership?
“When I left Microsoft ten years ago, interim management was actually the last thing I had in mind. I wanted the freedom to do different things and work on issues I genuinely cared about. I thought that if I was going to take on an interim role, I might as well take a permanent job. But my perspective has changed considerably.
Today, I see a significant need for interim management, not least because the pace of change is so rapid. It can be very difficult to transform an organisation from within when you are also part of its existing structure and culture. In those situations, an experienced external leader can bring a different perspective, generate momentum and accelerate change.”
What makes an interim leader particularly valuable when an organisation needs to change?
“There are situations where an organisation simply needs someone who can step in and take responsibility immediately. It might be a vacancy in the leadership team, but it could also be that the business is facing a transformation that the existing organisation is struggling to drive forward with sufficient momentum. An external leader can bring in precisely the expertise needed and focus fully on the task at hand.
But it is not just about competence. An interim leader must be able to build trust quickly, establish relationships and understand the organisation’s culture. This is particularly important during change, because people need to trust the person leading them through it.
I experienced firsthand how demanding this can be. When I accepted my interim role, I could only offer 50 per cent of my time because I had other commitments alongside it. It worked well because we were clear about the arrangements, but I also realised how challenging it can be to lead a large group through an intensive period of change on a part-time basis. That was an important lesson. An interim assignment can create significant value in a short period, but when people are involved, as they almost always are in major transformation projects, I believe the best results come when you can be fully present.”
You have experience in both operational leadership and board work. What characterises an effective relationship between the board and the operational business?
“There are considerable differences between boards in how successfully they connect the boardroom with operational reality. The best examples are when the board is genuinely invited into the business and management is willing to be transparent about the challenges it faces. The board should not simply be a forum where management reports what has already happened.
When a board has the right composition, it brings an enormous amount of expertise that the organisation can draw on. Strategy days and other meetings should therefore be used for meaningful discussions about the strategic choices and challenges facing the business.
It is about creating a partnership in which the board can both challenge and support the CEO and the management team.”
You have also worked extensively with digitalisation and AI. How is AI changing the demands on leadership and the ability to drive change?
“For a long time, we have been proud of Sweden’s leading position in digitalisation. But when it comes to AI, many organisations need to take the next step. It is no longer enough to purchase tools and train employees. We need to start transforming the organisation itself and rethinking our processes. Where can AI do a better job than humans? And what should people do instead? That is a much bigger leadership question.
I believe boards and leadership teams need to dare to set far more ambitious goals. We often set targets based on last year’s results and margins. But as technology develops exponentially, we need to be bolder in our ambitions. At the same time as we accelerate, we may also need to apply the brakes in certain areas. AI is already so powerful that it is easy to relinquish control and responsibility too quickly.
That is why organisations need clear rules and boundaries. What data should AI have access to? What decisions should AI agents be allowed to make? Where must a human always be involved? These are governance questions that need to be owned by the leadership team as well.”
What do you think will be the biggest challenge for leaders going forward?
“Being able to combine the drive to create change with sound judgement.
We will need to become much better at managing change because the pace of change is not going to slow down. At the same time, we must not lose sight of people.
It is easy to assume that investment and technology are the difficult parts. But very often, people are the ones who slow down change, consciously or unconsciously, because they perceive it as a threat.
That is why trust, communication and the ability to create clarity will become even more important.
This is also where I see a clear role for interim management. When an organisation is facing major change, an experienced external leader can contribute expertise, perspective and momentum while working towards a clear and focused mandate.”
You left Microsoft ten years ago to gain greater freedom. What has that journey taught you about leadership?
“I wanted the freedom to do what I am passionate about and create results where I saw a need. It was a big decision after 20 years as an employee, but it also gave me the opportunity to work in many different contexts.
Today, I combine advisory work, board assignments, training, speaking, writing and investing. I get to work with different industries, organisations and leaders, and see change from many different perspectives.
It has also taught me that change is a great opportunity for development, both for organisations and for individuals. Sometimes, you really do need to step outside your comfort zone to discover what you are capable of achieving.”
You are currently writing your third book, this time about AI and leadership. What do you hope readers will take away from it?
“The book explores what happens to leadership and organisations when AI moves from being a tool to becoming more like a colleague.
I have interviewed around 20 leaders and experts who are working with this transformation in different ways. One central question is how we lead teams in which humans and AI work together. Where should we draw the line when it comes to automation? Which decisions should people make? And what is genuinely human that AI cannot replace? For me, human judgement is central.
The more powerful technology becomes, the more important it is that we lead this transformation with responsibility and sound judgement. We do not need less leadership as AI develops. We need better leadership.”
#Tech #Technology #Digitalization #Digital #AI