NordenBladet – Denmark’s Queen, Margrethe II*, was accompanied by her younger sister, Princess Benedikte**, as she oversaw the beginning of commemorations of a major anniversary for their country. The two royals attended a special concert marking the centenary of the reunification of South Jutland with Denmark.
The gala evening was hosted by the Danish government as events for the 100th anniversary get under way. The performance, which included music and dance, took place at the Royal Theatre in the heart of Copenhagen.
Queen Margrethe (79) and Princess Benedikte (75), both dressed in patriotic red, were presented with flowers as they arrived at the theatre. They then took their seats in the Royal Box for the show which featured performances from children’s choirs as well as a world premiere of a special German-Danish pas-de-deux.
South Jutland is the modern Danish name for part of what, for centuries, was known as the Duchy of Schleswig. In the 19th century, two wars were fought over Schleswig which culminated in Prussia defeating Denmark and taking control of the area. Following the First World War, Danish authorities asked for a referendum over the future of the area. The area now called South Jutland chose to be part of Denmark and the reunification took place in 1920.
Commemorations will take place throughout 2020 with special events planned for February and March to mark the centenary of the referendum itself. The most high profile celebrations will come in July to mark exactly 100 years since King Christian X rode, symbolically, across the border between Denmark and South Jutland to show they were now one again.
Queen Margrethe and her family are expected to play a major part in the ongoing commemorations.
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* Margrethe II (full name: Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid; born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark, as well as the supreme authority of the Church of Denmark and commander-in-chief of the Danish Defence. Born into the House of Glücksburg, a royal house with origins in northern Germany, she was the eldest child of Frederick IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden. She became heir presumptive to her father in 1953, when a constitutional amendment allowed women to inherit the throne. Margrethe succeeded her father upon his death on 14 January 1972. On her accession, she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margrethe I, ruler of the Scandinavian kingdoms in 1375–1412 during the Kalmar Union. In 1967, she married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, with whom she has two sons: Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.
** Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg RE, SKmd, D.Ht. (Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid, born 29 April 1944) is the second daughter and child of King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark. She is the younger sister of the reigning Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, and the older sister of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. Princess Benedikte often represents her elder sister at official or semi-official events. She and her late husband, Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, have three children. Princess Benedikte is currently 11th in the line of succession to the Danish throne.
Featured image: Denmark’s Queen, Margrethe II (NordenBladet)
NordenBladet – The Danish Royal Family has attended their first reception of 2020. Queen Margrethe was joined by Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and Princess Benedikte at Christian VII’s Palace in the Amalienborg Palace complex last night. The annual reception was in honour of the Danish government, Parliament, members of the Royal Court and official Denmark.
Others in attendance included Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen, Minister for Defence Trine Bramsen, Minister for the Environment Lea Wermelin, Supreme Court President Thomas Rørdam, and Mayor of Copenhagen Municipality of Frank Jensen.
Guests dined on pheasant with apple and pickled mushrooms, deer fillet “Crepine”, cabbage, French fries and pepper sauce, baked Brillat-Savarin, truffle and frisée salad, Charlotte a la Russe, and blackcurrant from Marselisborg Palace. Tables were decorated with flowers that “mainly consist of white roses, eucalyptus, silver-grey tillandsia as well as carnations and snowflake-like bridal veils, which together remind the guests of the cold winter months,” according to the Royal House.
Music was provided by The Royal Life Guards Music Corps.
Another reception will take place tonight and on Friday night.
Video: Den kongelige familie ankommer til nytårskur- og taffel 2020 (Det danske kongehus)
NordenBladet – The Crown Prince Family of Denmark have sent their Christmas greetings to the Danish people through a new photo and video released by the Royal House.
In the video, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine are decorating a Christmas tree together. They are also seen petting and feeding the horses in the stables and later having a snack together as a family.
The video ends with a message from the Crown Prince Family, “With the wish for a very Merry Christmas.”
The photo of the family was taken in the barn behind Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen where they had decorated the Christmas tree and fed the horses.
The stables with the decorated Christmas tree are open to the public, and visitors will be able to see the tree when they visit. It is open every day from 13:30 – 16:00 except Monday.
NordenBladet – Norway’s financial authority (Finanstilsynet) is worried about new figures showing how Norwegians’ household debt remains high and keeps rising. The most vulnerable are both young first-time home buyers with large mortgages and senior citizens who’ve borrowed against their equity.
The annual figures released by the regulators now show total debt as a portion of gross annual income at 342 percent. That’s 8 percentage points higher than in 2018, while there’s also been a sharp increase in household debt that’s more than four times household income. Relatively new regulations hold banks to a maximum of five times, and regulators worry there are far too many bumping right up against that.
High housing prices and a strong desire for home ownership in Norway have fueled the rising debt levels. Even though the government tightened lending requirements by demanding downpayments of at least 15 percent on purchase of a home (capping mortgages at 85 percent), total debt is rising and that’s not healthy, experts claim.
‘Alarming’
“The rise in debt exposure for first-time buyers is alarming,” Ola H Grytten, a professor at Norway’s prestigious business school NHH (Norges Handelshøyskole) in Bergen, told newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN). He noted that it’s rising three times faster than purchasing power, “and that can’t last.”
Concerns are also rising over how debt continues to rise among Norwegians over age 65, most of whom are retired and on relatively fixed incomes. While there’s been a rise in those taking out “senior-” or home-equity loans to supplement income for travel or other recreational pursuits, Thea B Kloster of Finanstilsynet ties much of the seniors’ rising debt level to parents and grandparents helping the family’s younger generation buy a home instead of renting.
The greatest concerns, however, are swirling over the young borrowers who can get hit by interest rate increases and who don’t usually have much financial reserves in the form of savings. Very few Norwegians opt for higher fixed-rate loans in Norway. Those under age 25 have an overall debt-equity ration of 387 percent, according to the new report.
Big mortgages too common
Grytten worries that it’s become too common to take up large, multi-million kroner mortgages. “There’s a danger that borrowing up to the maximum is becoming the norm,” Grytten said.
Norway is now tied with the Netherlands in having the highest household debt among the OECD countries, exceeded only by Denmark, where more buyers opt for fixed-rate loans and aren’t as exposed to interest rate hikes.
“We’re a nation of gamblers who haven’t locked in our interest rates,” editorialized newspaper Dagsavisen. “We’re optimists, or else bloody naive.”
Featured image: Norwegians’ desire to own their own homes means that especially first-time buyers get off to a rocky start with high household debt levels. Seniors also have a rising degree of debt. (Pexels)
NordenBladet – There are a few different definitions of what constitutes the Arctic, but it can essentially be defined as the area surrounding the North Pole. This northernmost part of the planet is home to about 4 million people, about 10% of whom are indigenous. It is the most sparsely populated area of the earth. The territories of eight countries lie within the region: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, Canada, the US, and Iceland. The Arctic Ocean and surrounding waters cover about one third of the region’s area, making fishing and waterways some of its most important resources.
Climate change and changes in international relations have put a spotlight on the Arctic in recent years. In the spring of 2019, Iceland started its two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council, emphasising the importance of stability, sustainability, and co-operation in the area, and the intention to find ways to tackle its challenges, most notably climate change. A few months later, US President Donald Trump had a different kind of co-operation in mind when he tweeted about purchasing Greenland. The diplomatic kerfuffle than ensued proves relations in the Arctic are anything but simple.
Iceland in particular has also seen increased interest from foreign powers. Russian bombers were spotted entering NATO airspace near Iceland twice this March. While Icelandic-Russian diplomatic ties are stiffer than they have been for a long time (due not only to the military activity but also sanctions over Russia’s indexation of Crimea), just this year, Iceland has received a visit from both US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Vice President Mike Pence. Iceland has also gauged increased interest from China, not just as a tourism destination but also as an investment possibility. In light of US, Russian, end even Chinese interest in the Arctic, we’ll be taking a closer look at how international politics might affect the future of Arctic communities.
Cooperation without borders
The Arctic Council was founded in 1996. It consists of emissaries from the eight countries that make up the arctic landmass, as well as indigenous residents’ organisations. According to their website, the council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting co-operation, co-ordination and interaction among the Arctic states, Arctic indigenous communities, and other inhabitants of the Arctic on common issues, in particular sustainable development and environmental protection. While the Nordic countries have a long history of cultural exchange and co-operation, the same cannot be said for the US and Russia. The result is that while the Arctic Council is the most important international council on Arctic issues, certain matters are completely off the table, including fisheries and defence.
Chairmanship of the council is shared between its member countries. Each country holds the chairmanship for two years, after which it moves to the next. Iceland assumed the chairmanship in spring of 2019 and declared its goals to be to continue the co-operation, sustainability, and stability of the area.
For over two decades, the Arctic Council has been the scene of highly important negotiations that make extremely dull headlines: the drafting of regulations and making of deals necessary to ensure the prospects of the area. One example is the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants or the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Now international interest in the area is increasing, but that’s not necessarily in the best interest of the people who inhabit the area. To put it bluntly, the Arctic is too important, ecologically speaking, to become a monetary or a military bone of contention between powerful nations.
While Russia has long been poised as the yin to the US’s yang in international politics, Russia’s interest and activity in the north Atlantic has long been a known quantity. China’s interest is newer, and if US Vice President’s Pence’s Iceland visit is anything to go by, it’s more of a concern to the US than their old foes in Moscow. Pence remarked on the occasion that the US was happy with Iceland’s decision to decline participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, a Chinese infrastructure investment project. In fact, both Iceland’s Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign affairs corrected the vice president as Iceland hasn’t made any decision to either participate or decline as yet. Pence also warned Icelanders not to accept the technology of the Chinese company Huawei, but there has been speculation that both of these comments were made for Chinese ears, rather than Icelandic ones.
Iceland. Photo: Pexels/Valdemaras D.
Climate change
For centuries, the Arctic has been of little international consequence. As climate change continues to ravage the planet, however, the region is warming up. Three hundred billion tonnes of ice melted off the Greenland glacier this summer. The continuous melting of this freshwater is changing the makeup of the Arctic Ocean. Ocean acidification is wreaking havoc on underwater ecosystems. Aside from the effect this has on the global ecosystem, melting ice and receding glaciers are revealing hitherto unreachable land and waters, making the ears of investors, entrepreneurs, and politicians all over the world perk up.
Climate change is one of Iceland’s stated focuses in its leadership of the Arctic Council, but it’s difficult to find a local solution to a global problem. As Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former president of Iceland, put it, “The future of the Arctic is decided in other parts of the world, on other continents. The way we use energy; pollution; increased carbon dioxide release; will have uncontrollable consequences for the future of the Arctic.”
While Iceland’s intentions may be to prioritise action on climate change, international politics are once again interfering. Last spring, the Council didn’t release a joint statement as is usual, because the US Secretary of State wouldn’t sign a statement which mentioned climate change.
Opportunities and interest
Recently, a vessel owned by Russian gas company Novatek sailed the northeast route from Russia to China in record time. The voyage took 16 days, and no icebreakers were needed to clear the way. According to Novatek, the northeast route takes less than half the time it takes to sail west through the Suez Canal. Indeed, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarsson has stated that the effects of the opening of sailing routes through the Arctic are comparable to those of the Suez and Panama Canals when they first went into operation.
In light of that comparison, it’s obvious that control of Arctic waterways could become extremely lucrative. In Iceland, some investors are already thinking to the future. A planned container port in remote Finnafjörður fjord is expected to connect Asia, Europe, and the US. The project has been heavily criticised by environmentalists.
In addition to new trading routes, Arctic resources such as fish stocks are changing with the climate. For some stocks this means less fish, but in other cases, fish species that tend to live further south are migrating north as the water heats up. As the Greenland glacier and sea ice in the Arctic melt, access to oil drilling and mining opportunities becomes easier and therefore more profitable. While it might seem callous to consider business opportunities as climate change ravages the area, this is an important issue for the people of the Arctic, the least populated area in the world. Iceland doesn’t have an army, instead relying on defence co-operation and diplomatic negotiations for safety. If the global superpowers’ struggle for economic influence in the area intensifies, that could spell trouble for a small nation that relies on soft power.
National security
Minister for Foreign Affairs Guðlaugur Þór has stated that “It’s evident that there’s increased interest and emphasis on the Arctic and the Arctic Ocean from the superpowers, as well as others. […] There hasn’t been much military development in the area. And we want to make sure it stays that way.”
But that might prove more difficult than anticipated. Iceland is a founding member of NATO, and the US military has long had a base on the Reykjanes peninsula. Recently, increased US spending in the base’s renovation have caused a stir, and Vice President Pence emphasised the importance of the defence agreement during his visit to Iceland recently. Iceland’s continued defence cooperation with the US and NATO has always muddied the waters and increased defence costs and military exercises in Iceland has roused strong opposition. Increased military activity by Russia in the area might be one of the reasons why the US are fortifying their position, as ever since the Cold War, Iceland has been in a strategically important spot between the two countries.
Historian Sumarliði Ísleifsson has stated that increased interest is not necessarily in the best interest of the people of the Arctic. According to Sumarliði, the Icelandic government should speak clearly of their intent to keep the Arctic peaceful. Military exercises should have no place here, and Iceland should do its best to avoid getting dragged into an arms race. He told Iceland’s national broadcaster RÚV, “The more low-key the politics in the area are, the better.” Eiríkur Bergmann, professor of political science, considers it a matter of worry how the US approaches the countries in the Arctic. President Trump’s attempt to purchase Greenland shows his attitude towards the people of the Arctic and might portray the lack of respect and knowledge international political leaders have for the people of the Arctic.
NordenBladet – The skills of Estonian students rank 1st in Europe according to the OECD’s international survey PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). Estonian students rank first in all three domains of assessment. The share of top performers has increased while the share of students performing below the baseline level has decreased. The results indicate that the level of education provided by basic school is not dependent on the socio-economic background of a student.
>Estonia’s 15-year-olds rank 1st in reading, science and mathematics in Europe while in the world, Estonia’s students rank 5th in reading, 8th in mathematics and 4th in sciences. Estonia belongs to one of five countries globally where students have demonstrated improved results in two domains. The PISA results suggest that Estonia’s education system is effective and ensures equity – compared to other countries, there is a large number of students who despite socio-economic disadvantage attain a high level of academic proficiency.
“We must first of all thank our students, parents and teachers for these results. Their dedication and hard work each day gives us reason to take pride in our education,” said Mailis Reps, the Minister of Education and Research of Estonia. “Our consistently excellent PISA results show that we have made right choices in our education policy in this fast-changing world. I am glad that Estonia is increasingly known and recognised as an education nation.”
PISA 2018 focused on reading literacy. The Estonian results demonstrate a steady growth in performance, increasing by 22 points compared to 2009 when reading literacy was last assessed. The difference between the performance of boys and girls has declined significantly. Estonian students are very good in searching for information and data. The number of top performers has increased compared to the last PISA assessment in 2015. 13.9% of students are able to solve complicated and very complicated tasks compared to OECD’s average of 8.5%.
Estonian students have one of the highest levels of knowledge in natural sciences (biology, physics and chemistry): 1st in Europe and OECD member states, and 4th in the world. The share of top performers in sciences is double the OECD average (12.2% compared to 6.8%). Estonia also has the lowest number (8.8%) of low performing students among European and OECD member states (the OECD average is 22%).
In mathematics, Estonian students rank 1st in Europe and 8th in the world. 15.5% of students are top performers compared to OECD average of 5%. Boys rank slightly higher than girls in mathematics.
PISA assesses skills necessary for future
The domains PISA assesses play fundamental role in students’ future studies and performance, said Gunda Tire, the PISA Coordinator in Estonia and expert at the Foundation Innove. “PISA provides countries with feedback on their education system. The results are helpful for understanding which aspects of the education system require more attention,” said Tire. “In addition to skills and knowledge, PISA also looks as students’ well-being.”
The majority (77%) of Estonian students exhibit growth mindset – they believe that they are capable of improving their intelligence and are willing to put effort into their own development in order to secure a better future. This is the highest among OECD countries. 70% of students plan to attain higher education; the most popular professions are ICT specialist, doctor, CEO, architect and psychologist.
On average, 70% of Estonian students are satisfied with their life, which is above OECD’s average. For the first time, PISA 2018 studied how students feel in their lives. Results demonstrate that 89% of students feel always happy and cheerful while 53% are worried and 51% sad.
Estonia’s challenges
While the differences in results between boys and girls in reading literacy has decreased and both genders have improved significantly, the share of low-performing boys is larger than we would like. A student-oriented approach and a greater attention to different approaches are something that help to decrease the number of low performers.
Similarly to previous results, a performance gap between schools with different languages of instruction persists. The consistent gap shows that more attention must be paid to training teachers and headmasters. It must be highlighted that students at schools with Russian as the language of instruction perform above the OECD average.
Estonia’s education know-how in the world
Thanks to the excellent results in PISA, Estonia has become an education expert in the world, said minister Mailis Reps. “I am glad that we have proven ourselves to the world in three of the most important domains. By learning from other countries, we have been able to shape our unique path that has made us a top performer. We have become from students to teachers. Now it is our turn to share our expertise and know-how,” said Reps.
“There is great interest in our success story. We have a story to share with the world. We have established an international brand and concept to introduce Estonia’s education,” Reps added.
The brand is called “Education Nation – for the smartEST people in the world”. Working together gives an opportunity to go further, increase the attractiveness of Estonia and provide better support to Estonian education technology companies, said Reps. The brand helps to share Estonia’s know-how, competences, experiences, trainings, smart solutions or products better and it will assemble a number of initiatives and undertakings that showcase Estonia’s education.
Background
79 countries and economies and 600 000 students aged 15 participated in PISA 2018 testing. 5371 students from Estonia participated in the test (4000 in Estonian language and 1371 in Russian language).
PISA focuses on the 15-year-olds because at this age, students in many OECD countries graduate compulsory education and decide their next steps.
PISA is a triennial international survey with a goal to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading and sciences. Each PISA cycle explores one of the subjects in more detail. PISA 2018 focused on reading literacy. The financial literacy was also studies and the results will be published in 2020.
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has spoken about her links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein*, according to reports. Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv reports that the royal, 46, admits she met Epstein on several occasions between 2011 and 2013, after the American financier was first convicted in 2008.
In a statement to DN, Mette-Marit said: “I would never have had anything to do with Epstein if I had been aware of the seriousness of his criminal acts. I should have investigated Epstein’s past and regret that I did not.”
The communications manager at the royal court told the newspaper: “The crown princess chose to end contact with Epstein in 2013, partly because she experienced that Epstein was trying to use the connection he had had with the crown princess to influence other people.”
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir apparent to the throne of Norway.
It comes after the Duke of York spoke about his connections with Epstein during a BBC Newsnight interview last month. Prince Andrew, 59, has since stepped down from royal duties for the “foreseeable future.”
Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, gave an interview to BBC Panorama on Monday night, in which she spoke about her alleged meetings with the royal, including at Tramp nightclub in London in 2001 and a photograph of them together.
Buckingham Palace have responded, denying Virginia’s claims. A statement released on Monday evening read: “It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”
The palace also spoke out about the Duke of York’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, stating: “The Duke of York unequivocally regrets his ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein’s suicide left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims. The Duke deeply sympathises with those affected who want some form of closure. It is his hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. The Duke is willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required. The Duke has already stated that he did not see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest and conviction. He deplores the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour.”
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* Jeffrey Edward Epstein (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender. Epstein began his professional life as a teacher but then switched to the banking and finance sector in various roles, working at Bear Stearns before forming his own firm. He developed an elite social circle and procured many women, including underage girls, who were then sexually abused by Epstein and some of his contacts.
In 2005, police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein after a parent complained that he had sexually abused her 14-year-old daughter. Epstein pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 by a Florida state court of procuring an underage girl for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute. He served almost 13 months in custody, but with extensive work release. He was convicted of only these two crimes as part of a plea deal; federal officials had in fact identified 36 girls, some as young as 14 years old, whom Epstein had sexually abused.
Epstein was arrested again on July 6, 2019 on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. He died in his jail cell on August 10, 2019. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide, although Epstein’s lawyers have disputed the ruling. Because his death eliminates the possibility of pursuing criminal charges, a judge dismissed all criminal charges on August 29, 2019.
Featured image: Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (NordenBladet)
NordenBladet – You can win every battle but still lose the war. The goal is not to beat your competition; the goal is to outlast them. So what does it mean to play the infinite game as a leader? It means you leave something behind that outlasts your finite presence or contributions. An infinite leader builds a culture so strong, that when the leader is no longer there, the culture lives on. Infinite leaders commit to their just cause. The work produced by striving for that just cause has the indelible fingerprints of the leader, and lasts far beyond the time of the leader’s tenure.
“When somebody is playing with an infinite mindset
then they know that sometimes you have the best product
and sometimes somebody else has a better product..
There´s no such thing as winning or losing
There´s no such thing as being the best
There´s only ahead and behind.
And the goal is not to beat the competition
The goal is to OUTLAST the competition!
The only true competitor in the infinite game is YOURSELF!” –
Simon Sinek
Sinek´s (46) five must-have components to succeed in the infinite game:
1. Just cause — More than your “why” or purpose, a just cause is what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning. It’s the passion or hunger that burns inside that compels you to do what you do. Your just cause is what powers you to outlast your competitors. It propels you forward in the face of adversity and empowers you to persevere when you feel like giving up.
2. Courageous leadership — Playing the infinite game requires leaders to prioritize the just cause above anything else. They are willing to stand up to the pressures of the Board, Wall Street, or popular sentiment, and stay true to their cause. This struggle is often too great for a single person to tackle alone, so it requires all the leaders of the organization to band together and act in alignment.
3. Vulnerable team — Sinek says being a vulnerable team doesn’t mean it’s acceptable for everyone to walk around crying. It means you’ve invested the time and energy to build a culture in your organization where people feel safe to be themselves. They can admit they don’t know something or that they made a mistake. They can take appropriate risks without fear of retribution or retaliation. If you’re people don’t feel safe, that is your fault, not theirs.
4. Worthy adversary — In the infinite game, adversaries are acknowledged and treated with respect, but our success or failure isn’t measured against them. Ultimately we are competing against ourselves, and our success or failure should be measured against our just cause. Our adversaries may push us to improve our products, services, marketing, etc., but in the infinite game we are constantly striving to become a better version of ourselves in order to fulfill our just cause.
5. Open playbook — Too many organizations pursue a variable cause with a fixed strategy, Sinek theorizes, rather than pursuing a fixed cause with a variable strategy. Having an open playbook means leaders and organizations are willing to have flexible strategies and plans that change as needed to pursue their just cause. An open playbook also means you are transparent with your strategies, so all members of the team can literally be on the same page. Leaders resist being too transparent with information because they fear losing control. They distrust how people will use that information so they hold it close to the vest. That only results in people making sub-optimal decisions because they don’t know all the plays in the playbook.
____________________________________________ Who is Simon Sinek?
Simon Oliver Sinek (born October 9, 1973) is a British-American author and motivational speaker. He is the author of five books, including Start With Why (2009) and The Infinite Game (2019).
Sinek was born in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom and as a child lived in Johannesburg, South Africa, London, and Hong Kong before settling in the United States. He graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest in 1991. He studied law at London’s City University, but left law school to go into advertising. He received a BA in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University.
Sinek began his career at the New York ad agencies Euro RSCG and Ogilvy & Mather. He later launched his own business, Sinek Partners. Simon Sinek’s golden circle which describes a perspective of the influence of successful leaders and organisations.
Sinek has written five books. Start With Why, his first book, was published October 2009. His second book, titled Leaders Eat Last, appeared on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
As a motivational speaker, Sinek has given talks at The UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, and at the TEDx conference.
In June 2018, The Young Turks reported a $98,000 no-bid contract from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for “customized Simon Sinek leadership training” to take place between April 26 and May 15 2018.
Sinek is also an instructor of strategic communications at Columbia University, and is an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation.
Sinek started Optimism Press, which is an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Books: Sinek, Simon (2009). Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Sinek, Simon (2014). Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t. Sinek, Simon (2016). Together Is Better: A Little Book of Inspiration. Sinek, Simon (2017). Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team. Sinek, Simon (2019). The Infinite Game.
NordenBladet – It seems Icelandic footballer Kolbeinn Sigþórsson was partying too hard and landed himself behind bars in Sweden after a rowdy night out. According to Swedish newspaper Expressen, one player in the Swedish league was arrested last night. They were initially withholding the name from the public, but Fréttablaðið confirmed that the jailbird was Sigþórsson.
According to the report, Kolbeinn apparently resisted arrest around 3:00 o’clock on Friday night and subsequently spent the night in jail. The AIK football club executives have not commented substantially, just saying that the matter will be handled internally.
“Going out for fun in this way is not according to our values,” the chairman of the company told Fréttablaðið. As for whether Kolbeinn will be in the final round on Saturday, we’ll just have to wait and see.
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Kolbeinn Sigþórsson (born 14 March 1990) is an Icelandic professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swedish club AIK and the Iceland national team.
Before being signed by Ajax for a fee of €4.5 million in the summer of 2011, Kolbeinn came through Víkingur Reykjavik’s youth program. He then had a brief spell with HK Kópavogs in his home country and moved on to AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.
Before making his debut for the Icelandic national team, Kolbeinn played at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels. With 26 goals, he is their joint top goalscorer of all-time.
His brother Andri Sigþórsson was also a professional footballer who now acts as his agent.
Featured image: Kolbeinn Sigþórsson (Wikimedia Commons)
NordenBladet – Yesterday evening, on Tuesday 29 October 2019 awards were handed out in Sweden in Stockholm’s concert hall (Stockholms konserthus, Hötorget 8) at a festive awards gala held by the Nordic Council. Every year the Nordic Council also announces five prizes: the prize for literature, film, music, environment as well as children’s and youth’s literature. Besides the acknowledgement the winner also receives a monetary prize of 350 000 Danish kroons.
This year’s festive awards gala was opened by welcoming speeches from the Swedish parliament speaker Per Olof Andreas Norlén, the Nordic Council of Ministers’ president Hans Wallmark and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ vice-president Gunilla Carlsson, what even added to the festive atmosphere by giving a fantastic concert was the Västerås Symphonic Orchestra with conductor Cathrine Winnes. The event was hosted by Swedish literary critic and television host Jessika Gedlin.jhjh The other performers at the concert were Emilia Amper (a well-known Swedish folk musician and Key Fiddle player), El Sistema Södertälje children’s orchestra, The Mamas (a female trio with members Loulou LaMotte, Dinah Yonas Manna and Ash Haynes), the cellist Johanna Sjunnesson and the Islandic duo Hugar ( Pétur Jónsson, Bergur Þórisson).
First of all the 2019 prize for children’s and youth’s literature was announced (The Nordic Council Children and Young People´s Literature Prize 2019). The prize and the nominees were introduced by Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfen. The winner was 44-year-old Norwegian writer and illustrator Kristin Roskifte. The prize-winning book was “Alle sammen teller” (“Everybody counts”).
The second announced prize was the Nordic Cuncil’s Music Prize 2019. The prize and the nominees were introduced by Finnish conductor and cellist Susanna Mälkki. The music prize winner was the Islandic instrumentalist Gyða Valtýsdóttir. Valtýsdóttir was so moved about winning the prize that a quiver of hands was visible during the acknowledgement speech. With a softest of voices she said that the person behing her success story was her mother.
The third prize to be announced was the Nordic Council Environment Prize 2019. The prize and the nominees were introduced by the European Youth Parliament member Noura Berrouba. The winner was 16-year old Swedish climate activist and founder of the movement “Fridays for Future” Greta Thunberg. The audience applauded to Thunberg already when the nominees were announced. Thunberg helself however was not attending the event since at that time she was in California. On behalf of her the fellow activists got the floor and read out loud Thunberg’s letter that included a thank you as well as the message that she will decline the prize. “I want to thank the Nordic Council for this award. It’s a great honour. But the climate movement needs no more prizes. What we need is for those in power and politicians to listen to research,” she announced. The Nordic Council’s president Hans Wallmark stated on the Norden.org page that he honours the decision that Greta Thunberg has made and that is is being decided what will be done with the prize sums (read more about Greta Thunberg prize and declining the prize sums HERE).
Fourth, the Nordic Council Film Prize 2019 was announced. The nominees were introduced and the prize was handed out by Norwegian actress Lena Cecilia Sparrok. The prize went to Danish drama film “Queen of Hearts” (original title: Dronningen). Film director and screenwriter May el-Toukhy, screenwriter Maren Louise Käehne, film producers Caroline Blanco and Rene Ezra.
The fifth prize, the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2019 was introduced and announced by Swedish poet and writer Johannes Anyuru. The prize went once more to Denmark. The winner of the prize was 28-year old Jonas Eika Rasmussen with his novel “Efter Solen”. However, Jonas Eika brought quite some anxiety to the concert hall. While holding his acknowledgement speech he took advantage of the situation to blame the current government. In the two-page speech that he had prepared, he blamed the Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen who at the time was seated just a few meters away in the hall, he spoke of capitalism, racism, and need for radical changes in the Nordic countries.
A fine ending to the prize gala 2019 of the Council of Ministers (19:30 – 21.00) was made by “Ain´t No Mountain High Enough” by The Mamas and Västerås´i Symphony Orchestra.
See more: a brief society gallery from the gala guests (a.k.a. five minutes before the concert in the hallway and the hall) is soon available at NordenBladet entertainment pages Ohmygossip.
Photography and text: NordenBladet / Helena-Reet Ennet
