Catarina Malmrot: The Heart of Sustainable Leadership

In today’s fast-paced world, leadership can often feel overwhelming and unsustainable. But Catarina Malmrot, #1 international bestselling author and certified leadership supervisor, offers a fresh perspective that blends leadership, health, and empathy into a powerful, lasting formula. Drawing on her unique experience across healthcare, education, and military training, Catarina shows how true leaders drive success and sustain it by taking care of themselves and their teams. Discover how her holistic approach is transforming leaders and organizations across the Nordic region and beyond. Her work emphasizes that lasting leadership is rooted in self-care, ethical values, and the courage to support others. Catarina’s message is clear: sustainable leadership isn’t just about results—it’s about creating a legacy that nurtures people and organizations for the long haul.

You’re the #1 international bestselling author of Secrets of Sustainable Leadership. Have you written any other books?

I’ve written one book so far – Secrets of Sustainable Leadership. I’ve been invited to participate in other book projects, but I haven’t joined any of those yet. Writing this book was such a meaningful process for me, and I wanted to make sure I did it in a way that truly reflected my beliefs.

You’re a certified supervisor for leadership programs developed by the Swedish National Defence University. Can you tell us more about that?

Yes, I’ve completed their supervisor training, which involves a structured and rigorous process. First, you must complete the participant-level courses—such as UGL (Understanding Group and Leader) or UL (Developmental Leadership)—before applying for the facilitator track. Admission to the facilitator training is highly competitive. After that, you must co-facilitate a course with an examiner approved by the Swedish National Defence University. Only then can you be certified as a supervisor for that specific course. I’m certified to independently lead and supervise one of these programs, which means I can guide others through their leadership frameworks, although I don’t work directly for the university. The same process applies individually for both UGL and UL certifications.

I always try to think about help for self-help and to make things as simple as possible. When you help someone in a clear and accessible way, they’re more likely to carry that forward—to use it in their own life and also to support the next person who may need help or guidance.

What motivates your work in leadership development?

I want to help people become better leaders – for themselves and for others. Leadership starts with how we lead our own lives. If we’re not taking care of ourselves, we can’t take care of anyone else. That’s why I focus on sustainable leadership – the kind that supports both professional success and personal well-being.

You talk a lot about women in leadership. What’s the message you want to share with them?

We need to support each other more and create opportunities for more people – especially women – to step into leadership roles. Too often, I hear women say, “But I can’t be a boss.” My answer is always: “YES, you can. We want you to try. How do you know you can’t if you’ve never tried?” Women need to back each other more – just like men often do.

What makes the leadership programs you teach different from others?

Both courses are grounded in experiential learning and based on scientific research. They’re continuously updated to reflect new insights and findings. As certified supervisors, we’re also required to stay up to date with the material, so the quality of the teaching remains high and relevant. This ensures that the leadership development stays fresh, practical, and evidence-based.

You also have a background in health coaching. How does that connect to leadership?

For me, it’s all connected. Many leaders are under constant stress and neglect their health – both mentally and physically. To support others, you need to feel well yourself. Otherwise, you risk burnout. If you’re exhausted, all your energy goes into just surviving the day – not leading effectively. The World Health Organization has even said that mental illness will be the world’s biggest disease by 2030 if we don’t act now. That’s why leadership and health can’t be separated.

Your book has a strong message about sustainability – not just in terms of the environment, but also people. Where does that come from?

I grew up close to nature—we grew our own potatoes, picked berries (especially cloudberries), and lived in tune with the seasons. Those early experiences taught me the importance of balance, effort, and care. To this day, I try to buy as much locally grown food as I can, depending on the season. I often ask myself, Should food really be traveling around the world? If I can buy Swedish meat or seasonal produce, I will. Nature has so much to teach us about sustainable living and sustainable leadership.

I often tell my students that leadership is like tending a garden—it takes time, patience, and consistency. And as with everything I do, I try to approach sustainability with the mindset of help for self-help. The idea is to make tools and concepts simple and accessible enough so that someone I help can, in turn, help the next person.

What impact do you hope your work has had?

I hope I’ve helped people live better, healthier lives through more sustainable leadership. Leadership that works not just for the business or organization, but for the leader as a person. If you can sustain yourself, your leadership will last longer and be more meaningful – for you, your organization, and your employees.