Lars Strannegård

Professor, principal, and advocate for the power of education

Lars Strannegård is a professor of business administration and president of the Stockholm School of Economics. He is an author and board member, highlighting the importance of education for innovation, societal success, and personal leadership.

Lars Strannegård is one of Sweden's most influential figures when it comes to views on education and knowledge in society. He holds the Bo Rydin and SCA professorship in business administration with a focus on leadership and has authored several books and articles. As president of the Stockholm School of Economics, he has worked to integrate culture and the humanities into a traditionally economic educational environment.

Through his research and leadership, Lars wants to challenge the narrow view of education that sometimes reduces it to a way of meeting the needs of the labor market. For him, education is about more than professional skills—it is the foundation for understanding and navigating a complex world. Knowledge needs to be multifaceted and inclusive in order to empower both individuals and organizations.

For Lars, education means uniting heart and mind. It is not only about thinking analytically but also about interpreting and experiencing the world through culture, history, and art. This holistic view forms the basis of his lectures and research, where he highlights how we can think more broadly and make better decisions by challenging the boundaries of our knowledge.

Lars Strannegård emphasizes that the leaders of the future need more than technical and economic knowledge. To succeed in a global and changing world, it is necessary to have the ability to understand cultural contexts, human relationships, and historical patterns. This approach is reinforced by studying different disciplines and creative expressions.

By combining knowledge from, for example, literature, art, and philosophy, a deeper understanding is created of both society and the challenges that organizations face. Strannegård argues that organizations that invest in a broader education often have a better ability to think innovatively, handle complex situations, and achieve long-term success.

His book Knowledge That Feels: A Hymn to Learning Something New captures this mindset. There he shows how knowledge must be something more than intellectual understanding—it must also touch, engage, and be anchored in experiences. It is through feeling and experiencing that we become better equipped to see connections and understand others' perspectives.

Lecture: Knowledge that is felt
On learning new things, thinking more broadly, and making better decisions. In this lecture, Lars Strannegård emphasizes how education in different fields strengthens decision-making and strategic thinking. He shows how philosophy, literature, and art can deepen the understanding of societal and organizational issues. By connecting historical events and human behaviors to everyday challenges, Lars highlights the importance of breaking down disciplinary boundaries.