Inside the Swedish Workstyle: Consensus Decision-Making, Modesty, and the Pursuit of Balance 

What comes to your mind when you hear “Sweden”? According to the platform Sharingsweden.se (managed by the Swedish Institute, a public agency), the essence of the Swedish brand is “sustainability, innovation, and democracy.” 

Sweden is often regarded as an oasis of stability, welfare, quality of life, equality, moderation, and trust. Indeed, amid the world’s many turmoils, you can almost count on the Swedes to be there, peacefully celebrating Midsommar with floral headpieces, savoring juicy strawberries and delectable gravlax, living in functional homes of minimalist design, spending time outdoors and enjoying nature, balancing work and life, awarding Nobel Prizes, and listening to the scientists as their climate activist Greta Thunberg advises. The country has given us ABBA and a wealth of catchy pop acts; cinematic legends (think of Ingmar Bergman, Ingrid Bergman, and Greta Garbo); Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time; and in the world of sports, icons like footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović and, more recently, pole vaulter “Mondo” Duplantis — well, at least half of him, as the other half is American. With a population of just 10 million, Sweden is undoubtedly a powerhouse of soft power in its own right. 

Beneath Sweden’s appealing lifestyle and effective nation branding are fundamental traits of the Swedish psyche and ethos. Let’s explore these key traits and see how they connect with the Swedish work style and business culture — starting with consensus decision-making. 

Can we all agree? 

Consensus decision-making is a collaborative approach to making choices in which, rather than relying on a majority vote or top-down directives, a group works together to find a solution that everyone actively supports, or at least can accept and live with. It seeks to take into account the concerns, needs, and ideas of all participants to reach a mutually satisfactory decision. 

So, in the consensus decision-making process, each group member has an equal opportunity to share their viewpoints, and the group engages in open discussions to explore all perspectives. The aim is to address objections and create a solution everyone can agree upon without coercion. This means the group must keep working — adapting the proposal or approach — until all members feel comfortable with the outcome. While it can be time-consuming, this process can lead to high levels of commitment and group cohesion. When applied to teams within an organization, consensus decision-making can enhance employee engagement. 

Trust: the cornerstone of consensus 

Achieving a consensus often involves compromise, which can only happen when participants trust that everyone will also be willing to adjust their positions for the benefit of the group. In other words, consensus decision-making requires a high level of interpersonal and social trust — something that has historically been an abundant resource in Sweden and the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland). Trust is what makes participants of this type of decision-making process believe that others are acting in good faith and that the outcome will genuinely reflect the group’s shared interests. 

A 2009 article by Olle Wästberg, who was the Director-General of the Swedish Institute at the time, offers a glimpse of those high levels of trust in Swedish business culture. The author noted, “Swedish business contracts are usually much shorter than in many other countries — probably because the level of trust still is higher and there is a mutual understanding of standard business practice.” 

The consensus-based model and long-run consistency of the Swedish economy was cited as a reason why the country quickly recovered from the 2007–2008 financial crisis and remained relatively unscathed during the subsequent European debt crisis. 

“Lagom” and “folkvett”: key concepts for understanding the Swedes 

The first keyword to understanding Swedish society and decision-making process is “lagom,” which conveys a sense of moderation and appropriateness. It could be roughly translated as “just the right amount,” or “not too much, not too little.” Etymologically, “lagom” comes from Old Norse, the language that has developed into the modern North Germanic languages — Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Faroese, and Icelandic. It is an old form of the word “law,” meaning “according to law,” which also refers to rules dictated by common sense. 

The traditional Swedish coffee break, known as “fika,” embodies the “lagom” attitude of moderation and balance. While working without respite or overworking is valued in many countries, in Sweden it is seen as a sign of poor time-management skills. So, employees in Sweden pause twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., to socialize over coffee and cake, recharging their brains for better productivity. Science supports the idea behind “fika”: research shows that the brain performs optimally when periods of focused work alternate with short breaks. 

“Lagom” is also connected to a sense of community. According to a BBC article, “Lagom in its most powerful form means that whatever contextual decision you make is the very best one for you or for the group you find yourself in.” Interestingly, the article perpetuates a false etymology of the word that is worth going through despite its falsity: “Culturally, the roots of lagom are tied back to communal times of the Vikings, when they gathered around the fire after a hard day’s work and passed around horns filled with mead, a honey-fermented beverage. Everyone was expected to sip just their fair share so others could have enough to drink as well. This ‘laget om’ (‘sitting around the team’) has been shortened to ‘lagom’ over centuries.” The folk etymology does help us understand the concept of “lagom” and its connotation of balancing individual needs with group interests in every decision. 

Another important concept is “folkvett,” which denotes the moral sense or good manners that individuals are expected to possess inherently, without formal teaching, enabling them to “do the right thing” for themselves and everyone else. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the deeply rooted concepts of “lagom” and “folkvett” — moderation, common sense, and simply doing the right thing — allowed Sweden to be a country with relatively few restrictions in place. Swedes were asked to use common sense and behave with moderation during the health crisis, maintaining an optimal balance between individual freedom and the well-being of the group. 

Swedes’ Danish neighbors have a comparable word to express their community spirit, “samfundssing,” defined by Den Danske Ordbog as the “attitude that shows that one places consideration for society above narrow self-interest.” It is similar to “lagom” and “folkvett” insofar as it conveys social mindedness and some guidance for acting right. However, “samfundssing” conveys the idea of a hierarchy between societal and individual interests, with the latter coming second place. “Lagom,” in turn, expresses the idea of an appropriate balance between the two. 

However, the idea of suppressing individuality is also present in Swedish culture — let’s go through the Law of Jante (“Jantelagen”). 

The Law of Jante: the Nordic Ten Commandments 

The Law of Jante is often described as a “code” of conduct that discourages individualism and personal pride. Its ten rules essentially convey the message: “Don’t think you’re better than anyone else.” Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose coined the Law of Jante in his 1933 novel, A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks, where he introduced the fictional town of Jante. In this town, people live by an unwritten law that discourages standing out. Sandemose’s depiction resonated with many across the Nordic countries, who recognized similar societal expectations in real life. 

Here are the ten “commandments” of the Law of Jante: 

1. Don’t think you’re anything special. 

2. Don’t think you’re as good as we are. 

3. Don’t think you’re smarter than we are. 

4. Don’t convince yourself that you’re better than we are. 

5. Don’t think you know more than we do. 

6. Don’t think you’re more important than we are. 

7. Don’t think you’re good at anything. 

8. Don’t laugh at us. 

9. Don’t think anyone cares about you. 

10. Don’t think you can teach us anything. 

The Law of Jante has had a lasting impact on the region’s culture by emphasizing equality, modesty, and community-mindedness, sometimes at the expense of individuality. Here’s a glimpse of the Law of Jante in action: after winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe, Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård discussed on a talk show how the Law of Jante influenced his behavior and kept him from bragging about the accolades. To further illustrate his point to the American audience, he also noted that the late founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, drove an old Volvo for years despite his billionaire net worth. 

To this day, the Law of Jante remains a vital characteristic of the Nordic mindset: very demure, very mindful, very lagom. 

Power Distance and Masculinity: two dimensions that explain all of the above 

While pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Gothenburg, Brazilian computational linguist and interculturalist Ana Paula V. Carvalho wrote her thesis on intercultural communication in Swedish workplaces. In her paper, she scrutinizes interactions between Swedish and Brazilian white-collar workers during “fika” time in an IT consulting firm, utilizing the cultural dimensions theory by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede — with a focus on the dimensions of Power Distance and Masculinity. 

First, let’s go through the two concepts, as they will be of immense help in understanding Swedish work environments: 

Power Distance 

Hofstede’s website defines Power Distance as “the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.” According to the author, power and inequality are fundamental components of any society: “All societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others.” The higher a country’s Power Distance score, the more its society accepts and even expects social inequalities in the distribution of power. 

Hofstede correlates large Power Distance countries with more severe income disparity. These countries also tend to have a small middle class combined with a large lower class. In comparison, countries with a small Power Distance are linked to lower levels of income disparity and a large middle class — in his words, “most people are middle class” in small Power Distance countries. 

Sweden has one of the lowest Power Distance scores, 31. And if you’re interested in the scores of other Nordic countries, here they are: Norway also scores 31, Finland scores 33, and Denmark received a notably low score of 18. Iceland was not assigned a score. 

The large Power Distance countries are more likely to fall prey to dictatorships and oligarchies. They also have more of a penchant for revolution (talking about revolutions, Russia’s Power Distance score is 93, China’s is 80, and France’s is 68, the highest in Western Europe). In contrast, the small Power Distance countries change by gradual evolution, which could explain Sweden’s tendency towards stability. 

Power Distance in the workplace 

According to Hofstede, in societies with a large Power Distance, subordinates expect to be told what to do. In contrast, in small Power Distance societies, subordinates expect to be consulted regarding matters related to their work. Sweden’s low Power Distance score is deeply connected to the country’s preference for consensus-driven decision-making, where everyone has a say. It also means that its companies typically lean towards flat, non-hierarchical organizational structures. 

In societies with a large Power Distance, the leaders tend to be older because they tend to stay in power longer once they attain their position, and innovation comes about only when it is supported by the hierarchy. In small Power Distance societies, leaders are typically younger, and innovation is more spontaneous and frequent. 

Brazil’s Power Distance score is 69, which is a high-intermediate one and significantly higher than those of the Nordic countries. In her paper, Carvalho analyzed words and subtle gestures that reveal the differences in Power Distance between Brazilian and Swedish cultures. For example, in one of the “fikas” she recorded, a Brazilian employee readily offered the first slice of a cake to a superior — in Brazil, the person who gets the first slice of a cake is signed as special within the group, either out of affection or, as is the case here, hierarchical deference. 

Masculinity 

As for the Masculinity dimension, it is the extent to which the use of force is endorsed socially. According to Hofstede’s website: “In a masculine society, men are supposed to be tough. Men are supposed to be from Mars, women from Venus. Winning is important for both genders. Quantity is important and big is beautiful. In a feminine society, the genders are emotionally closer. Competing is not so openly endorsed, and there is sympathy for the underdog.” 

Sweden’s Masculinity score is 5, the lowest among all the 76 countries with validated scores. As for other Nordic countries: Norway scores 8, Denmark, 16, and Finland, 26. Iceland was not assigned a score. 

In a 2014 video, the late social psychologist explained his concepts: “I’m talking about the emotional role — what you should feel being born as a boy or being born as a girl. The boys should be assertive and tough and focused on material success, and the women should be focused on the quality of life. I call a society feminine if this role separation is not there or it is weaker at least, so that especially men are also supposed at times to be modest and tender and focused on the quality of life.” Doesn’t the last bit sound quite Swedish? 

Hofstede addresses the emphasis on modesty and humility in the Nordic countries, encapsulated by the Law of Jante, as a reflection of the fact that “masculine societies admire the strong; feminine societies are jealous of high-flyers.” 

Importantly, there’s no correlation between the wealth of a nation and its Masculinity score: among the masculine societies, there are both poor and rich countries, just as among the feminine societies, there are both poor and rich countries. Nevertheless, the Dutch professor observed that feminine societies have lower illiteracy rates and fewer people living below the poverty threshold compared to masculine societies. 

Masculinity in the workplace 

Hofstede’s analysis of how the masculinity dimension manifests itself in the workplace provides a valuable framework for understanding employer-employee relationships across different cultures. He observes, “In masculine societies, salary is clearly more important than leisure; in feminine societies, leisure is at least as important as salaries. In fact, feminine societies tend to have longer vacations than masculine societies.” Notably, all the Nordic countries provide at least 24 vacation days annually. Hofstede continues: “In feminine societies, people try to balance family and work; in masculine societies, work clearly prevails over the family, and work is an acceptable excuse to neglect the family — and family is, of course, not an accepted excuse to neglect your work.” By this point of his explanation, it’s easy to understand why Sweden is famous for its work-life balance.  

Brazil, in contrast, holds an intermediate Masculinity score of 49, significantly higher than Sweden’s. Carvalho, who moved from southern Brazil to Gothenburg four years ago with her husband, also a Brazilian, reflects on their work experiences in Sweden: “One story that stands out is when my husband’s coworker left 15 minutes before an important meeting to pick up their child from school. The meeting went on without them, and no one thought twice about it. For us, as Brazilians, this was shocking,” she tells TechTalents Insights. “In Brazil, family responsibilities often take a back seat to work commitments, so leaving a meeting like that would be considered unprofessional. But in Sweden, it’s completely normal and supported by labor laws. It’s a great example of how Swedish work culture prioritizes family and flexibility.” 

This emphasis on work-life balance underscores the Swedish workplace’s alignment with Hofstede’s notion of a feminine society. Carvalho elaborates further: “In Sweden, it’s normal for employees to leave work early to pick up their kids from daycare, something that’s unheard of in Brazil. Back home, companies often dismiss women after maternity leave because some employers have the misbelief that they might not continue being dedicated to their jobs. In Sweden, this level of flexibility and understanding isn’t just accepted — it’s encouraged. It was a completely new experience for us and really showed how much Sweden values work-life balance.” 

She continues, connecting Sweden’s feminine society with the idea of balance and moderation found in the concept of “lagom”: “What I love most is how Sweden prioritizes well-being. In Brazil, working late, pushing through illness, or answering emails outside work hours is seen as dedication. Here, it’s different. If you’re sick, you rest. If you need to take care of your family, you do. This approach has made me feel like my life and health really matter.” 

The interculturalist compares Sweden’s work culture with high masculinity cultures, like the United States — where the Law of Jante is unknown: “Sweden’s low masculinity score really shapes how things work in the office. In high masculinity cultures, like the United States, competition and personal achievements are front and center. People openly talk about their accomplishments, and success is often measured by how much you stand out. In Sweden, it’s the opposite. Humility and collaboration matter more than self-promotion. For example, if an American job applicant emphasizes their personal achievements in a cover letter, it might come across as overly boastful in Sweden, where teamwork and fitting into the group are more important.” 

The group-oriented mindset also influences Sweden’s approach to gender equality, further emphasizing inclusivity. Carvalho notes: “Sweden actively promotes gender inclusivity with policies like shared parental leave for mothers and fathers. Leadership positions are based on competence, not gender, and workplaces encourage collaboration and mutual respect over traditional hierarchies. These values create an environment where everyone’s contributions are appreciated equally.” 

While the interculturalist commends the high level of gender equality in Sweden, she also acknowledges that not every woman experiences it to the same extent, as foreign women may face discrimination. She states: “Sweden’s reputation for gender equality is well-earned, but there’s room for improvement. Biases can sometimes creep into hiring decisions, like undervaluing foreign credentials or assuming someone won’t ‘fit’ into the workplace culture. For example, candidates with non-Swedish names might face extra scrutiny, even unintentionally. 

Carvalho’s perspective underscores the importance of moving beyond established norms to ensure gender equality in increasingly diverse workplaces. She offers some solutions: “Small biases can create barriers, but there are ways to address them. Anonymized CVs, structured interviews, and bias-awareness training are great tools to make hiring more inclusive and ensure that workplaces truly reflect Sweden’s commitment to equality.” 

Can consensus, modesty, and balance become a burden? The challenges of the Swedish way 

You can’t please everyone, and neither can the Swedes. Therefore, there is criticism of certain aspects of the Swedish way. Starting with the Law of Jante: while it has helped foster societies that value humility and egalitarianism, it is also criticized for discouraging ambition, suppressing individuality, and promoting a sense of conformity. 

Scandinavians are generally well aware of these complexities, though. They can appreciate the Law of Jante for its valuable reminder to remain humble and grounded while also recognizing that it can be limiting, particularly in areas like entrepreneurship and personal growth. 

Moreover, in recent years, the increasing cultural diversity of Swedish society has given room for different views, attitudes, and behaviors. This shift has made space for icons like Zlatan Ibrahimović, the supremely confident and unapologetically boastful son of Balkan immigrants, who blatantly defies the Law of Jante — the Law of Zlatan is about being as skilled as cocky. 

Like the Law of Jante, the concept of “lagom” has also been subject to some backlash and is occasionally used negatively by locals to imply something is “uninspiring” or “dull.” 

The culture of consensus decision-making doesn’t remain unscathed either. It is sometimes cited as a barrier to implementing change initiatives in Swedish companies. That’s because the consensus decision-making process can potentially become a pitfall when some group members, rather than critically assessing all alternatives, prioritize conflict avoidance or are biased towards maintaining the status quo. At its worst form, consensus decision-making could hamper innovation and ultimately lead to stagnation. 

Nevertheless, much of the criticism of consensus decision-making stems from misunderstandings of its true essence. 

In a 2012 Forbes opinion piece, CEO coach Mike Myatt described consensus as the “team building’s silent killer.” The author was categorical: “Decisioning by consensus usually results in no decision being made, or an intellectually dishonest, watered-down decision that is so full of compromises, hedges and caveats that a non-decision might have been preferable.” He goes even further to discard consensus thinking as “devastating to all things productive.” 

It’s important to note that Myatt’s piece never specifically mentions Sweden, Scandinavia, or the Nordic region. While providing some insight into the challenges of leading by consensus, his critique also reflects a common misconception of consensus as an equal distribution of power across all levels. Myatt himself writes, “The thought all employees should have an equal say is just more politically correct thinking run amok.” However, what consensus means is that everybody gets a say, not that juniors and C-levels will have an equal say. Consensus’s real strength lies in its ability to integrate diverse perspectives and reach decisions that the entire team can support, even if not all are in full agreement. 

When done right, consensus fosters innovation and collaboration because it is a powerful way to integrate technical and business expertise. This perspective is championed by Anders Persson, a Swede himself and the CEO of Comstream, a recruitment and nearshoring company specializing in IT, with offices in Stockholm and Sofia. For Persson, consensus is not a hindrance but a catalyst for innovation, especially in collaborative fields like software development. He tells TechTalents Insights: “Consensus-based decision-making is tailor-made for software development projects. The fact is that technical expertise mainly resides in the minds of the developers, and when they interact freely with our stakeholders, who have in-depth knowledge about business requirements, this interactive process gives birth to beautiful things. In the right environment, innovation and consensus naturally come hand-in-hand; there is no built-in conflict between these two things.” 

As a Brazilian living in Sweden, Ana Paula V. Carvalho admits that the slower pace of decision-making can be challenging for expats in Sweden coming from more hierarchical cultures: “In Sweden, everyone gets a say, which is great for inclusivity but can feel inefficient compared to the faster, more hierarchical systems I was used to in Brazil.” However, she emphasizes that the team commitment brought by this type of decision-making is worth the time spent, and illustrates this with a story from her husband, who is also a Brazilian and works in the Swedish IT industry: “My husband, who works as a solutions architect, once shared how his team chose a new content management system. Instead of one person making the call, the entire team got involved. They asked questions, took notes during vendor meetings, and shared detailed reports on their impressions. It took about a month to make the final decision because everyone’s input was considered. While it was slower than hierarchical decision-making, it ensured the whole team felt heard and invested in the outcome.” 

Finally, another aspect of the “Swedish way” with remarkable pros and cons is its inclination for diplomacy. Swedish ethnologist Åke Daun includes “conflict avoidance” among the core traits of the Swedish mentality. In his book “Swedish Mentality,” he states: “Many Swedes typically avoid topics of conversation with a strong emotional charge and on which there are strongly diverging views. In conversations among people in the workplace or at a dinner party, Swedes will typically try to change the subject of conversation, come up with an evasive answer or even relinquish their own view on the matter, in order to avoid a deeper controversy.” 

Such a penchant for diplomacy brings a risk that individuals compromise their innovative ideas for the sake of harmony. Fortunately for Sweden, the pursuit of diplomacy, while potentially hindering disruption, is well balanced by a small Power Distance culture that promotes innovation through non-hierarchical structures. The country has produced innovative companies such as Klarna, the fintech that is disrupting traditional credit systems and retail shopping; Spotify, which has reshaped the music industry; IKEA, which transformed the furniture business; Skype, which revolutionized international calls in the 2000s; and Ericsson, which has significantly contributed to the development of the telecommunications industry for almost a century and a half. 

It should be noted that, when it comes to societies, there’s no inherently good or bad trait. Consensus-building, modesty, diplomacy, and the pursuit of balance are neither universally beneficial nor detrimental. Instead, their outcomes depend on how well they align with the needs, values, and goals of a given society — or organization. Their effectiveness relies on their thoughtful application. Societies and organizations thrive not by rigidly adhering to one way of thinking or another but by recognizing the strengths and limitations of such traits and adapting them to the demands of each situation. 

Key takeaways 

In exploring Swedish culture, we find that its remarkable soft power and captivating lifestyle are deeply rooted in its values of moderation, consensus, balance, equality, and social trust. Sweden stands as a distinctive model where individual needs and collective interests coexist harmoniously. 

In the workplace, this cultural foundation translates into a collaborative and inclusive work style, where decisions are often made through consensus and every voice is valued. Although this approach brings challenges, Sweden’s successful innovation journey, featuring leading companies like IKEA, Spotify, H&M, Volvo, Klarna, and Ericsson, demonstrates that these issues are being addressed effectively, and that consensus can serve as a catalyst for innovation. 

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