Anna Eliasson Lundquist is the founder of Kvinnokompetensen and works with leadership development and organizational transformation, supporting senior executives navigating complexity and structural transition. With a long career in executive search and leadership advisory, she helps leaders strengthen clarity, resilience, and responsible authority in high-stakes environments. She founded Scandinavia’s first executive search firm specialized in female leaders in 1987.
1. Today is International Women’s Day, a moment when we highlight women with great ambition and purpose. As part of this, we would love to showcase your story. Can you share with us a specific ambition or goal you’re currently pursuing, and how you’re taking steps toward it?
One ambition I am pursuing right now is to speak more openly about the ideas and insights I have developed through many years of working with leaders and organizations. For a long time my work grew mainly through practice, through real situations, complex decisions and lived experience. Now I feel a responsibility to put those insights into words and share them more publicly. My goal is to contribute to a broader conversation about leadership and how we can navigate change with greater clarity, responsibility and humanity.
2. We talk about “Carry Your Ambition” as a play on words. It is both a literal bag and a symbol of the weight of ambition. In your life, have you ever felt that ambition as a burden, something that drives you but also puts a lot of pressure on you, weighing you down and sometimes making you doubt yourself? If so, how do you navigate that tension?
Yes, ambition can sometimes feel heavy. The key for me has been to never let willpower override the wisdom of the body. When pressure builds, I slow down and listen first to what my body is telling me. I believe in working in rhythm, much like in traditional agricultural life, where periods of effort are balanced with rest and reflection. Giving myself time to “sleep on things” and trusting my intuition helps transform ambition from pressure into something sustainable and grounded.
3. We’ve seen how icons like Margaret Thatcher used color in their outfits to stand out and project power, making a strong statement. In a similar way, how do you use color in your outfits to elevate your confidence, assert your presence, and help you rise above self-doubt as you pursue your ambitions?
My style is usually structured and quite understated, so color becomes a way to bring life and energy into that structure. A well-chosen color can lift the whole expression, adding warmth, presence and quiet vitality. For me it’s less about standing out and more about creating a balance between clarity, elegance and confidence.
Curious to meet the next bold woman in our mini-series Carry Your Ambition? See the full publishing schedule here.
