STOP PRETENDING YOU HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS: IVANNA ROSENDAL ON LEADERSHIP, HUMOR & TRANSFORMATION

STOP PRETENDING YOU HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS: IVANNA ROSENDAL ON LEADERSHIP, HUMOR & TRANSFORMATION What if the fastest way to transform an organization is to stop acting like everyone has to be serious all the time? On this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Ivanna Rosendal, a Copenhagen-based life sciences leader who combines behavioral science, organizational transformation, and comedy. Ivanna leads a technology organization within Ascendis Pharma and studies why organizations behave the way they do. Her mission became personal after watching a former partner struggle with chronic illness and limited treatment options. She became determined to help make pharma work better for patients. She also uses improvisational and stand-up comedy to expose the absurdities inside serious corporate environments. Ivanna believes many professionals wear a “mask of competence,” pretending they understand everything because they are afraid to admit uncertainty. Humor can break through that mask, lower defenses, and help teams see dysfunctional systems differently. In this episode, you will discover: • Why serious workplaces need more humor • How the “mask of competence” creates dysfunction • Why pharma employees care deeply about patients • How failure in drug development can still represent progress • Why transformation requires experience—not simply telling • How leaders can paint a vision without pretending they have every answer • Why different assumptions create conflict inside teams • How metaphors and humor can uncover those differences • How Ivanna manages ADHD-style distraction with physical reminders • Why everyone should remain a beginner at something • How learning new skills builds empathy • Why communities make skill-building easier • How office design affects stress, connection, and belonging • Why corporate “games” like year-end budget spending should be questioned • How business travel can build community TRANSFORMATION THROUGH EXPERIENCE Ivanna believes telling people what to do has limited power. Real transformation happens when people experience something for themselves. When a leader simply tells people the answer, it can create a power dynamic: “I understand this, and you need to catch up.” But leaders do not have all the answers. Instead, Ivanna helps teams identify what already works, uncover where assumptions differ, and imagine what those pieces could become together. Maybe the answer is not the “Lego giraffe” the leader pictured. Maybe it becomes a gorilla. The goal is not proving the leader right. It is building something better. FOCUSING THE “SQUIRREL BRAIN” Ivanna describes herself as having a brain that can easily chase the next idea. Her solution is simple. She places a Post-it on her computer stating exactly what she is doing: “Right now you are answering emails.” When another thought appears, she writes it in a notebook instead of abandoning the task. The notebook holds the distractions. The Post-it holds the focus. She also credits the Pomodoro Method, physical activity, and task-management systems with helping her concentrate. SEED FOR THE MAGIC GARDEN Ivanna leaves listeners with one question: “What about the situation I’m in is funny?” When something goes wrong—a delayed flight, difficult meeting, or frustrating process—look for the absurdity. Humor does not erase the difficulty. It changes your relationship with it. Seeing what is funny can create enough space to see another possibility. CONNECT WITH IVANNA ROSENDAL LinkedIn: Ivanna Rosendal Lab Twives: https://labtwives.com/ Maneuvering Monday: https://maneuveringmonday.com/ #PeaceLoveAndBringABat #IvannaRosendal #Leadership #Transformation #OrganizationalChange #BehavioralScience #WorkplaceCulture #Comedy #ADHD #PharmaLeadership To support us: https://davidchametzky.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@davidchametzkyNOW https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-love-and-bring-a-bat/id1552738547