By Sofie Svendsgaard, Content Marketing Specialist, June 2025
Danfoss’ use of SLII® training from CfL is nothing new. What is new is the way the High Pressure Pumps division has chosen to approach it.
Michael Bjørn, Head of Danfoss High Pressure Pumps, wanted to offer leadership training to employees involved in leading – whether they manage people, projects, or processes.
According to Michael Bjørn, being a skilled salesperson or engineer is not always enough: “Good leadership requires training. You need to be aware of your leadership style so you can adapt it to the situation, whether you're leading projects or people. And you have to lead based on your employees’ needs, not just your own preferences.”
He also had a clear ambition: to give everyone leadership training at the same time – and to do it together – to create a shared language.
Together with HR Business Partner Regitze Nielsen, he asked the key question: How do we design a program that elevates leadership across the board? The answer was to scale the SLII® training so that everyone received the same foundation and tools.
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I consider leadership to be an independent discipline. You can be a skilled specialist and a strong individual contributor, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a good leader. We need to dare to talk about leadership as something that can be challenging – and where you need the right tools to succeed.
It’s not often that a large group of leaders from around the world can be brought together. So when 36 leaders from the High Pressure Pumps division gathered for three days of Leadership Days, Michael Bjørn and Regitze Nielsen wanted to make the most of the opportunity.
The agenda already included strategy sessions, factory visits, and cross-functional collaboration – so how could SLII training be integrated?
That’s where Richard Asklund, Executive Relation Manager at CfL, came in. In close collaboration with him, the classic SLII program was reshaped and condensed into a new format. The first day of training was moved online, allowing participants to prepare in advance. The in-person SLII session was then placed at the midpoint of the week’s program.
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SLII® is one of the most widely used and recognized leadership models in the world. It was developed by the U.S.-based leadership development company Blanchard in the 1970s.
SLII® helps establish a common language between leaders and employees and provides a practical framework for task execution. The model acknowledges that people start from different places and therefore require different leadership approaches. With SLII®, leaders learn how to set clear goals, assess the employee’s development level, and adapt their leadership style to the specific situation.
When the leaders were introduced to the new training format, the response was positive:
“Even though some participants had previous experience with SLII or had been in leadership roles for 20 years, no one questioned the program. On the contrary – they appreciated the investment in their development and understood that leadership training requires regular brush-ups,” says HR Business Partner Regitze Nielsen.
The in-person training day took place at Hotel Alsik in Sønderborg, where both Richard Asklund and Lars Hemmingsen, Strategic Leadership Consultant from CfL, facilitated the session. Participants were divided into two groups to ensure strong group dynamics.
HR Business Partner Regitze Nielsen describes it as an energetic day with a high level of engagement:
“There were lots of questions from participants about real-life situations, and that’s where it really helps that the room was filled only with people from the same Danfoss department. It meant that everything discussed was directly relevant to them. That’s how we started an open and honest dialogue about leadership in our organization.”
She also emphasized the importance of trust in Danfoss’ culture: “People quickly opened up and shared what they find difficult about being a leader. Of course, it takes a certain level of trust to show vulnerability in front of your colleagues – but that’s something we’re fortunate to have at Danfoss, and that’s why this concept works so well for us.”
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"There were lots of questions from participants about real-life situations, and that’s where it really helps that the room was filled only with people from the same Danfoss department. It meant that everything discussed was directly relevant to them."
Following the training, a feedback survey was sent out. The overall score came in at over 4.7 out of 5. When asked, “How would you rate the leadership training SLII?”, 95.65% of participants selected “Very relevant/clear” – the highest rating possible.
In addition to the scores, participants left anonymous comments that highlighted just how impactful the day had been:
- “Great to have a common leadership language and all getting trained at the same time. Also got a different view of some colleagues when I heard them talk through their thoughts, which was positive.”
- “It was super interesting and again, a great teamwork day! We all left with great insights and the workshop insights can definitely be used for everyday adaption!”
- “Inspiring and very useful for leading a diverse team.”
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Michael Bjørn is pleased with the program and the decision to approach SLII® in a new way:
“When you do leadership training this way, you create a deeper sense of anchoring. Because we went through it together, it becomes something we refer to in our everyday work. It means we actually apply what we’ve learned – and leadership becomes part of the culture. We naturally start speaking the same leadership language.”
Facilitator Richard Asklund was equally enthusiastic: “The participants were engaged and motivated, and there was a great atmosphere in the rooms at Hotel Alsik – it was the perfect setting for the day. All in all, a very rewarding experience.”
According to Michael Bjørn, leadership is a discipline that requires ongoing practice – not just a one-off effort. That’s why follow-up workshops are already being planned with the same groups formed during Leadership Days:
”An important point is that this isn’t over. We’ve had Lars and Richard join us and do a great job, and we now have access to some excellent online platforms. But now we’re back to the everyday routine – and we need to make sure what we’ve learned really sticks.”
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