Meet Johan Fernqvist

Daring to think the unthinkable is the biggest challenge when working in sales, says Johan Fernqvist, sales manager at TV4 in Sweden. "As a representative for a market leader, you can't get stuck in old thinking and habits," says Fernqvist. "Never be so full that you don't have the energy to run."

Sound advice from an expert who happens to be one of this year's finalists for the Bonnier Sales Awards Sales Manager of the Year. Fernqvist, who has been working at TV4 since 2000, is responsible for national sales for TV4, TV4 Plus, TV4 Fakta, TV11 and TV4 Film with fellow nominee Mats Ståhl.

Fernqvist is proud to have been named a finalist, but he is even prouder of his sales team. Not least because they dare to think the unthinkable. "It's great that we have the drive within the TV4 Group to develop and carry out what we do well even better tomorrow," he says. "I'm also proud of course that despite a really tough competitive market, we hold and strengthen our position as a leading media house."

Clear goals set together with his team are a clear key to success, Fernqvist says, along with daring to make demands while still being responsive and empathetic. He also advises other leaders to find someone who can serve as a kind of sparring partner, "someone who can help you with honest feedback about your leadership." He personally gets daily feedback about both his positive and less positive skills as a leader. "It's helped me develop enormously," he says. "And maybe most important as a leader, you should be ambitious and never neglect your own development as a leader and human being. The day you think you've learned everything about leadership is the day you need to start doing something else."