About Lars
My own "why"
"You should do what you love the most, because what you love you do best"
That belief has guided me for many years and only gets stronger and stronger the older I get. It is also one of the biggest reasons why I chose to start the Lars Sjödin Network and have had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the leading consultants and educators in areas they are passionate about.
Many experiences have shaped me into who I am today, which of course also shaped my various choices in my professional life. I have always liked sports and played ice hockey myself from when I started skating school as a little 6-year-old boy until I ended my career as an A-team player 20 years later. This largely influenced me to choose the profession of physical education teacher in order to continue working with people and sports. But what has influenced my career choice the most is probably that I lacked a really good leadership education in my teacher education, which led me to take a master's degree in leadership.
For over 20 years, in addition to being a behavioral science educator at Bosön and within the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, I have also had the privilege of working with small and large companies in the private sector, large authorities and municipal operations. An incredibly interesting journey that I would like to continue for many more years. You should do what you love most, because that's what you do best ... as I said.
Björn Granqvist, Alova
CEO Alova Real Estate Technology AB
Through Lars, we have received concrete tools that have allowed us to develop and take our leadership to new levels.
Jenny Hassel, PayEx
Head of HR Sweden
Lars is a responsive and sharp trainer who has quickly and flexibly tailored plans based on the needs we have had in the organization.
Martin Filander,
Head coach EHC Biel-Bienne
Lars has been a valuable support for us in the management staff and for the players during all the seasons we have played in the SHL.
Annika Liljebo Delebeck,
Pastor Märsta pastorate
The work we have done together with Lars in our management team has really taken us where we want to be. We have a strong psychological security and we have made our mission even clearer.
Stefan Hedlund
Headcoach SCRJ Lakers
Working as a coach abroad involves tough demands. I feel that Lars was the most important piece of the puzzle for me to be able to lead well even under tough conditions .
Samer Samir
Head of Sales NOBA
Lars is a very knowledgeable leadership coach. He always contributes with high quality in both content and execution.
Jeff Jacobs,
Assistant coach, Linköping HC
Lars has helped me a lot in my development as a leader, above all, he has created a deeper understanding and knowledge about leadership.
Emilia Mancho
Sales Manager, Beans in Cup
So grateful that you and Magnus held the Diploma Coach. You are so inspiring Lars with all your experience and expertise.
Thomas Fröberg
General Manager, Luleå Hockey
As a General Manager, you want to attract the right expertise to an organization. Lars is and has been a valuable support for both players and leaders.
The slightly longer story
Everything Began Long, Long Ago in the Small Town of Härnösand
Long before anyone uttered the now-famous words, "The internet – it’s just a passing fad," and even before the internet was anything more than a futuristic illusion, it all started in the small town of Härnösand. Today, many years later, he still finds himself present in what was once predicted to be nothing more than a fleeting trend. Physically, he is mostly based in Sweden’s capital, though he frequently travels across the country.
From a relatively young age, Lars had a passion for performing in front of an audience, despite being naturally quite shy. He found an outlet for this during "Fun Hour" at school, where he would lip-sync to the rock band KISS. The love for being on stage is something he still shares with his younger self. The biggest difference today is that his performances have less to do with rock 'n' roll and more to do with human behavior.
During a coaching session, someone once described Lars as "a mix between a rock star and Socrates." On another occasion, however, someone else called him "a grumpy old man." Which one is true? Well, that’s likely in the eye of the beholder. That said, he certainly strives to live up to the first description—perhaps especially in his role as a coach, but also as a trainer and speaker whenever the opportunity arises.
A Deep Dive into Human Behavior
Although Lars has always been fascinated by human behavior and interactions, his interest escalated in the 1990s when he studied Physical Education and Health at GIH in Örebro. Frustrated by the lack of leadership training in teacher education, he began studying sports psychology and psychology alongside his pedagogical studies.
This eventually led him to leave the profession of physical education teaching a few years later. At a time when the Y2K bug was causing widespread concern, Lars instead started teaching behavioral sciences at Bosön. Around the same time, he published his first book, Tänk om – att arbeta med social kompetens i skolan (What If – Working with Social Competence in Schools), together with a former teaching colleague.
From 2000 to 2010, Lars worked at Bosön. Since 2007, he has been an independent consultant and co-owner of a consultancy firm. In 2017, he founded Lars Sjödin Network. He often says that his work today offers the best of both worlds—allowing him to be a consultant, coach, and educator within both the corporate and sports sectors.
A Passion for Influence, Communication, and Psychology
For many years, Lars has had a deep fascination with influence psychology, human behavior, and communication. This passion has driven him to study behavioral sciences both within and beyond the academic world. His Master’s degree in Leadership is just one piece of the puzzle in the broad knowledge base that has led many to describe him as perceptive, goal-oriented, and meticulous.
Many testify to his ability to identify and enhance the interpersonal processes that help teams and individuals perform at their best. Alongside this, his strong drive to develop and create something new is a hallmark of his work. Perhaps that’s why he is frequently engaged as a trainer and coach in both business and sports.
And hey… why not reach out? He usually responds within an hour.