Tips and Tricks.

That’s what working here looks like. Klarna is made up of bold, curious, open, and quirky people who are all given the freedom to write their own role description. Encouraged to take an irregular career path. For some, this comes naturally. For others, it’s a work in progress. But one thing’s for sure – for people who are looking for more than a job, this will become home.

All Leaders have a cause – the customer. Leaders understand their customers and with absolute dedication, they ensure that serving the customer comes first. Leaders see the world from the customer’s perspective and have the foresight of their problems. They understand that to keep trust, the customer needs come above anything else.

Leaders have no barriers to their output. They don’t hesitate, they don’t have excuses, they get on and deliver value, consistently. Leaders look beyond their own problem space and own their dependencies. They use their initiative and don’t shy away from delivering outside their normal responsibility. They consistently deliver value to their customers today, not tomorrow. They see the big picture and understand their responsibility long term.

Leaders understand the value of leveraging differences and building on the strengths of others. They are open to new ideas, they listen. Leaders inspire a culture of inclusion and transparency. They lead by example with integrity, earning trust and respecting of others. They see feedback as an opportunity, not a threat, and are constantly looking to improve themselves and the team to reach beyond what they ever thought was possible.

Leaders never miss an opportunity to disrupt, to revolutionize the industry. They challenge the status quo, confront their customers problems and find simple solutions, fast. They experiment and chase their curiosity by testing and adapting their ideas. They anticipate what is ahead by favoring feedback over perfection and continually learning by doing. That is why Leaders embrace change, iterate and innovate.

Leaders start small and iterate their ideas. They test their ideas today so they can learn and improve tomorrow. They can make something out of nothing and understand that constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and innovation. They do more with less and understand that funding doesn’t start ideas, ideas start their funding.

Leaders believe in the cause and hence don’t settle for adequacy. They choose, coach and fight to keep exceptional talent. They recognize others more talented than themselves and don’t hold them back. They take their responsibility for coaching seriously. They involve others, share knowledge and give feedback everyday. They understand that not everyone is a talent and they honestly and respectfully challenge this on a regular basis.

Leaders are not afraid to take decisions. They are not afraid to fail. They know that nothing comes of waiting or hesitating and they step up and make the call. Even when it is difficult, awkward and uncomfortable they do and say what is best for Klarna and the customer. Leaders live by the mantra “what would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”. They dare to disagree but commit. Trusting their instincts and knowledge they respectfully challenge but support with alternatives. Leaders know their opinions will not always be supported. They expect it. When it happens, they accept it and fully commit. But not speaking up is not an option.

Leaders know that to be a disruptor in a competitive industry requires radical, detailed thinking. They are ambitious and communicate a daring direction that inspires results but they also love details and have a contagious desire for knowledge. They leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding Smoooth solutions. Nothing is impossible. They are a unique combination of ambitious, free-thinking with a meticulous eye for detail.