142

PartI BuildingBlocks

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Pernille Spiers-Lopez Assembles a Winning Team at IKEA
"Leadership is about me. It's about what I stand
for and my values.... Itis about being in front

of everybody and taking steps that others can't

quality time with family and friends. SpiersLopez believes that "if an employee's personal
life is in disarray, it can affect their productivity

always see" (Pernille Spiers-Lopez,0004). at work" (Fleury, 2004). So the company does

best to help employees balance their work and

both ilV
states Spiers-Lopez,Head of Global Human life and create an egalitarian workplace
space.
Resources for IKEA since 2009 and formerpres- terms of philosophy and actual physical

Effectiye leadership starts with self-examination,

ident of IKEA North America. She attributes her

Describing the new IKEA headquartersin

wanted a
success to her passion abouther work (Gutner, Pennsylvania, Spers-Lopez states, 'We
are all equal
2008). This philosophy leads to clear priorities in workplacethat embraces our ye
a family and
therife: her family comes first. "I am very aware .orgamzation,to be able to
caters to con
of the necessary give-and-takebetween the im- share our core beliefs; a home that
versation, open ideasvand collaboration" (Varv
porganceof my workand of my life athome
'We empow
I have no illusions about obtaining a complete Allen, 2007). She further believes,
prSona
balance. Ultimately there isn'tone" (Marcus, our coworkers and respect people's
in lives.: .. This hasa tremendous influence on job
'2007): She was forced to clarify
which
1999 after she was taken to the emergency room productivity, growth, and development,
(Fleury
with what first appeared to be a heart attack, but ultimately benefits our customers"

turned out to be an exfreme stress' reaCtion. She

Tecalls,"I was going an going and gomg .

said to myself 4so this is success"' (Mendels,

2005). Since then she takes time for yoga and

2004).

Her efforts have paid off, not only ingoviding excellent cutomer service and high sales
bugalso in attactig and maintaining coworkers,

results. An
meditation,and she has worked on clarifyingher who are esse@ialin delivering those
one of Working
values, whichhas not oniy helpedher tochartthe October 2004, IKEA was named
for
coursefor her own career, but has aiso-guided Mother magazine's 100 bestompanies
workmg mothers; and SpierLLopez was singled
her goals and strategies as aleader.

out for theFm11yChampiomAwar(Fleury,

IKEA,
I)ur41g Spiers-Lopez's tenure, staff
achieved success with -customers:vhreverit
t036percent(MeisIer,
-openedstoresin 31
than 8,000 workersin q1 states
.andNorth America. In NorttAmeric,thecompany's successispartlybeauseofthe leadership ipth United States alone,

2007)Spiers-Lopez
of Pernille SpiersX opez since Feruary2001, billionin 2006 (Van:Allen,
has"alsoinfluepcedIKEs overal corporateculmenhe 'Was-apT0intedpresident of

toamajorityofemployeesbeing
North America. Since joimngthe company, first ture.With close
the mpany's 75 top
in human resource management, Spier$-Lopez female, almosthalfrof
tbe boardfIKEAN01th
' has made nurturingcoworkers,as empyeesare earnersaiealsofel*,
America has gone-from one female member to
called, one of her major goais. In
flexible and creative work hours, partner'shealth five(Mieser, 2004).
v vSpiers-Lopez's focus omemployeesstems
benefits, full benefits for part-time yorkers, a
from her personal values and drive. in"hermidDiaternityleaepolicy,

generous

friendly environment; IKE iS mindful of pro.

'ding its employees with opportunitiestospend

forties, she IS married to Jason Lopez, a high

school principal, and they have two teenagerfy

Chapter 4

Individual Differences and Traits

143

Every day she faces the struggles of balancing 2004). Interestingly, Spiers-Lopez does not like
her life and career and addressing her personal to make too many plans for the future. "We live
and career goals. One of her mentors, Ulf Caap, in complexity and ambiguity, and I have
to be

says that she often carries heavier loads than she

should and that "she has the guts and fire to go

where few people ever go" (Binzen, 2004).

Although she sivesto maintain the balance in

her own life, she is driven 10 deliver results beyond her own expectations.Her husband and
staff remind her to keep her balance and take
breaks: They make fun of her being tireless and
pushing herself and others too hard (Meiser,

omfortable with that. I think leadership toda is

really about enpying change."

Questions
l. What are Spiers-Lpez's key individual
characteristics?
2. What are the factors that contr)uteto hen
effectiveness?

P., 2004. "IKEA)ss assembles happy staffs '2 Philadelphia Inquirer, September 29; Fleury, M., 200Q

WorkingMothermagazine award winner. http://www.suite101.com/print_article.cfm/3684/110941

(accessed On December A0,
2004); Gutner, T. 2008. Pernille Spier-Lopez, President of IKEA North American. The Wall Street Journal, September J 5.
http://onine.wsj.com/articldS121917019283353835.html
(accessed on March 9, 2010); Marcus,M., 2007. "Finding the bal-e
ance: Pernille Spiers-Lopez," Forbes, March 19. http://www.fOrbes.com/2007/03/19/spiers-lopez-balance-lead-careerswork-

on July 20, 2007)}Meisler, A, 200414

'Success, Scandinavian style,"

Workforce Management, August: 2632;Women's Leadership Exchange. Pernille Spiers-Lopez President, IKEA North
America. http:flwww.womensIeadershipexchange.cOm/index.php?pagename=la&sectionkey=17#66;Mendels, P., 2005.
"When work hits home," All Business, March r. http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-leaderp/366999-l.html (accessed on July 11, 2007)', VanAllen, P., 2007. "IKEA tenetspart of the its HQ," Phiiadelhia Business
" bmzal, January 19. http://www.bizjornals.com/philadelphia/stories/2007/01/22/story5.html
(accessedon